Tandoori Whole Chicken

Ingredients (Serves 6- 8)

1. Whole chicken (4 – 5 pounds)

2. Thick yoghurt – 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder – 3/4 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder (good quality) or mildly spicy chilli powder – 2.5 – 3 tbsp

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste – 2.5 tbsp

Garam masala powder – 1.5 – 2 tsp

Kasoori methi – 1.5 tsp

Cumin powder – 1.5 tsp

Lemon juice – 2.5 tbsp

Chat masala – 1 tsp

Salt – As needed

Mustard oil / vegetable oil – 1 tbsp

4. Melted butter / ghee – 3 tbsp + 2 tbsp, to baste

Method

1.  Clean the chicken by removing the skin, giblets and any extra fat inside the cavity. Rinse with water and dry thoroughly with a paper towel. You can keep the skin on, if you want.

2.  Make deep gashes on the fleshy parts of the chicken so that the masala can penetrate inside.
3. Combine all the ingredients numbered 2 in a bowl. Taste check for salt. Marinate the chicken with this mixture. Discard any excess marinade. Heat a piece of charcoal on direct flame until nicely hot, this will take a few minutes. Once the charcoal is hot, place it in a bowl placed along with marinated chicken and pour a tsp of oil/ghee on top. Immediately cover with lid. It gives a nice smoky flavor to the chicken. Remove the bowl after 20 minutes. (You can also do the smoking step immediately after the chicken is completely cooked through. Take the baking tray out of the oven. Keep the heated charcoal inside a bowl, pour 1 tsp oil and cover with an aluminium foil (so the smoke won’t escape) for 10 minutes).
Keep the marinated chicken inside the refrigerator for at least 15 hrs. Take it out 30 minutes – 1 hour before you are ready to bake. Add 2 – 3 tbsp melted butter and apply well on the marinated chicken.

3. Preheat the oven at 450 F.

4. Line a large baking tray with aluminium foil. Top it with an oven rack. Grease the oven rack with oil / butter. Place the marinated chicken on the rack (or directly on a greased aluminum foil). Cover it loosely with an aluminum foil and place inside the oven.

5. After 30 minutes, take the chicken out and baste it with ghee / oil. Flip over to the other side carefully (flipping chicken is optional. If the chicken releases a lot of moisture, carefully place it on a fresh aluminum foil greased with oil. This doesn’t apply if the chicken is placed on an oven rack). Brush with oil/ ghee on top. Cover again with aluminium foil and bake for another 30 – 40 minutes or until completely done. Flip back to the original side. Apply ghee/melted butter generously over the chicken. Broil for 4 – 5 minutes (do not cover with foil) until well-roasted. Take it out, brush with melted butter immediately and set aside for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with green chutney, sliced onion, tomato and lemon wedges.