Nizami or Royal Hydrabadi Whole Chicken Recipe

Ingredients



Serves 4
1 medium sized Chicken (whole, skinned)
1 tbsp. Lemon juice
5 Cloves
5 Green cardamom
2 inch stick Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Saffron (soaked in warm milk)
1 tbsp. Coconut (scraped)
10 Almonds (blanched, peeled, ground)
2 cups Yogurt
Salt to taste
1 tsp. Red chilli powder
1 tbsp. Ginger-garlic paste
1 cup Ghee
3 medium sized Onions (finely sliced)
1 bunch Fresh coriander leaves
1 bunch Fresh mint leaves
5 Green chillies



Method



Mix yogurt, salt, red chilli powder and ginger-garlic paste. Marinate the chicken in this mixture. Prick with fork all over the marinated chicken and stand it overnight in refrigerator.Heat ghee in a kadai, deep fry onions till brown. Drain and keep on an absorbent paper. Crush the onions and set aside.Pre-heat the oven at 180°C.Grind fresh coriander leaves, fresh mint leaves, green chillies and lemon juice to a fine paste to make green masala.Dry roast cloves, green cardamom and cinnamon and grind to a fine powder. Mix crushed onions, saffron, coconut, ground almonds, green masala, spice powder and salt (to adjust the seasoning) to make the second marinade.Rub the second marinade over the chicken and prick again. Roast the marinated chicken in the pre-heated oven basting with ghee at regular intervals. Remove the chicken from the oven once done and serve hot.