This Spicy Roast Chicken is perfect when you want a full on curry night, with all the trimmings, but you don't want to be slaving over a hot stove and faced with a huge amount of pots and pans after.
Fancy a chicken curry? Yes please! Of course, you'll need some tasty rice and some masala potatoes to go with that before you even think about poppadums and naan breads. There's so much work. No wonder everyone gets a takeaway or eats curry in a restaurant, even if the curry is swimming in oil!
So what if you could have a curry night with reduced fat, reduced cleaning, reduced work using just one pot and with full on taste?
It's right HERE!
What are the ingredients?
Rather than using chicken breast or boneless thigh for this recipe I am using a whole chicken. The chicken will keep tender by cooking it on the bone and there is less preparation too.
You will need some basic Indian spices, ginger and garlic but you can really tailor the spices to your taste.
How to make spicy roast chicken
When I cook a whole chicken for a roast I normally spread butter, garlic and herbs under the skin so for this dish you need to make a marinade to do the same. I mixed garlic, ginger, chillies, fish paste, turmeric, coriander and cumin and juice and zest of a lemon in a food processor.
Carefully ease the skin away from the breast meat and around the legs and use a spoon to distribute the paste on either side. Press on top of the skin to move the paste around evenly and then pop the used lemons in the body cavity. This will help to keep it moist and add extra flavour too.
Mix some oil with turmeric and baste the skin with a pastry brush to give a rich golden colour.
Roast for 40 minutes and then add the potatoes and onions for another 30 minutes.
When the chicken is cooked remove it and place on a plate covered loosely with foil. Add cinnamon, cardamom, mustard seeds and then add rice and stock for about 10 minutes
Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and lemon wedges and serve with raita or mint sauce.
Enjoy a lower fat, tasty Asian dish with all the trimmings and none of the washing up!
You could serve this exactly as it is but I do like a green salad with this type of curry so try my Broccoli, Asparagus and Endamame Salad for a change from lettuce.
I do love poppadums, but I prefer to cook store bought ones in the microwave. You need a good chutney too so try my Lime and Mango Chutney - it's wicked!
For all those extra spicy juices you'll need some naan breads too. These ones are easy to make in advance and are cooked in a hot frying pan to get a perfect char.
If you don't want to make a marinade why not use your favourite curry paste under the skin.
You could also make this with chicken portions such as thighs or drumsticks but you'll need to reduce the cooking time for the chicken to 20 minutes.
Why not try adding mushrooms or spinach when you add the rice for extra flavour.
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Spicy Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.3 kg Chicken
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 onion chopped
- 8 small potatoes cut in 1 inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 cardamom pods crushed
- 2 cloves
- 2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 240 g basmati rice
For the marinade
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 long red chilli
- 25 g ginger
- 1 tablespoon fish paste
- 2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 zest and juice of a lemon
For the baste
- 1 tablespoon veg oil
- 2 teaspoon turmeric
For garnish
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander
- 1 lemon cut into 4
Instructions
- Make the marinade by rough chopping the garlic and and ginger and blitzing with the rest of the marinade ingredients.
- Separate the skin from the breast and legs and distribute the marinade under the skin. Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes to 3 hours.
- Baste the chicken with the turmeric and oil mix then put the in a large oven tray and roast at 180 degrees C for 40 mins.
- Add the potatoes and onions and sprinkle over the turmeric and roast for another 30 mins.
- Remove the chicken and cover with foil. Add cinnamon, mustard seeds and cardamom for 5 minutes.
- Increase the temperature to 200 and add the rice and boiling stock and cover the dish for about 10 minutes.
- Serve with lemon wedges and fresh chopped coriander.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Please refer to the post for detailed recipe instructions.
Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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We definitely love a bit of spice but a whole chicken is quite economical and less clearing up is always a bonus too! I have to say that my normal roast is lemon, garlic and tarragon in winter and rosemary and garlic in summer!
ChgoJohn
Authentic or not, this sounds like a great way to prepare and roast a chicken, Amanda. I'm in a bit of a rut when it comes to roasting a hen. It's rosemary, garlic, a dash of while wine and a squeeze of lemon just about every time. As much as I like it, your dish would be a most welcome change. Thanks for sharing.