Murgh Musallam
(Baked Chicken)

• The traditional Murgh Musallam recipe is actually quite complicated but I have made it relatively simple now. I just smother a marinated bird with a spice paste, wrap it in aluminum foil and pop it into the oven. It works beautiful and is a great favorite .

Murgh Musallam (Baked Chicken)

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (1.5kg)

Marinade ingredients:

2.5cm fresh ginger, skinned & coarsely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
6 tbsp plain yoghurt
½ tsp ground turmeric
1¼ tsp salt
½ tsp chili powder
Freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp onions
1 tbsp ginger
2 tbsp garlic
15 almonds, blanched and silvered
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground paprika
¼ tsp chili powder
1½ tsp salt
8 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp masala salt

1. To make the marinade, blend ginger, garlic and 3 tbsp of the yoghurt in a food processor. Use a spatula to mix the ingredients and blend until you get a paste. Then add turmeric, salt, chili powder and black pepper. Blend for a second to mix.
2. Empty the marinade into a bowl. Add in the remaining yoghurt and beat it with a fork.
3. Skin the entire chicken, except the wing tips. Prick the chicken all over with a fork and make deep gashes on it. Put the chicken, breast up, on a platter.
4. Rub the chicken, inside and outside with the marinade. Set aside for 2 hours.
5. Meanwhile put the onions, ginger, garlic and almonds into a food processor or blender. Blend until you get a paste. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, chili powder and salt. Blend again to mix.
6. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium high flame. Fry the paste, stirring for 8-9 minutes.
7. Add the lemon juice, black pepper and masala salt. Mix, turn off the heat and let the paste cool.
8. Preheat oven to gas mark 3 or 4 or 180°C.
9. Place marinated chicken on an aluminum foil, breast up, in the centre of the foil.
10. Rub the chicken, inside and outside, with the fried spice paste, covering the gashes as well. Bring the ends of the foil towards the centre to form a tight packet. All the folds should be 5 cm above the base of packet.
11. Place the wrapped chicken, breast up, on a baking tray and bake in preheated oven for 1½ hours or until tender.