Egg Stuffed Whole Chicken
 
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
  • Whole Chicken, medium size- 1 (with or without skin)
For Marination
  • Chili powder- 3 tsp
  • Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
  • Lemon juice- juice of half lemon
  • Salt- 1 tbsp
  • Water- enough to make a thick paste
For making the Egg stuffing
  • Boiled eggs- 2
  • Onion, cut thin lengthwise-1
  • Ginger/Garlic paste- 1 tsp
  • Green chili, chopped- 1
  • Chili powder- ½ tsp
  • Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
  • Fennel powder-1 tsp
  • Coriander powder-1 tsp
  • Garam Masala-1/2 tsp
  • Roasted cashew nuts, chopped- 8
  • Roasted raisins- 1 tbsp
  • Curry leaves- 1 sprig (optional)
  • Cilantro chopped- 1 handful
  • Oil- 1 tbsp
  • Salt- ¾ tsp
Veggies
  • Carrot, halved, cut lengthwise- 2
  • Potatoes, cut long-2
  • Celery, diced lengthwise- 2 stalks
  • Beans, halved- ½ cup
For making the Gravy
  • Oil- 1 tbsp
  • Cumin seeds-1 tsp
  • Onion, diced-2 medium
  • Ginger/Garlic paste-1 tsp
  • Coriander powder-1 tsp
  • Cashew nut chopped- 1 tbsp
  • Chili powder- ¾ tsp
  • Tomatoes, diced-2
  • Salt- ½ tsp
Instructions
Cleaning the chicken
  1. Clean the chicken after discarding all the unwanted internal organs from it.
  2. Wash it thoroughly under running water.
  3. Add lemon juice to the water, clean inside out of the bird.
  4. After washing, pat dry using a paper towel.
Marinating
  1. Combine chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, lemon juice and a few tablespoons water to make a thick paste.
  2. Add lines on the legs, breasts, and back of the bird.
  3. Spread the paste all over the chicken, inside and outside of the chicken.
  4. Place the bird on a wide pan and cover with a cling wrap, refrigerate overnight.
  5. Overnight marination will help the spices to get into the chicken.
For making the Egg stuffing
  1. Heat a wide skillet over medium heat, add oil.
  2. Add onion and salt, saute till golden in color.
  3. Add ginger/garlic paste, green chilies, curry leaves and saute well.
  4. When the onion starts to turn brown, add chili powder, turmeric powder, fennel powder, coriander powder, garam masala and give it a stir and cook until the masalas get roasted
  5. If it is too dry, add a few tablespoons of water and let cook.
  6. Finally, add the boiled eggs and cilantro, saute till the masala has coated well on the eggs.
  7. Transfer the stuffing into a bowl and keep it aside.
Stuffing process
  1. Take the bird out of the refrigerator and let rest on the countertop for 10 minutes.
  2. Gently stuff the egg stuffing into the cavity of the bird.
  3. Push the eggs into the cavity, for a medium bird, only 2 eggs can be squeezed in.
  4. After stuffing, tie the wings and the legs of the bird tightly with kitchen twine, so that the stuffing doesn't come out.
Initial Baking
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F or 200 C.
  2. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.
  3. Place the chicken breast down on the baking pan and spread the veggies around the chicken. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
  4. Bake for initial 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the chicken to the other side, this helps in proper cooking of the bird.
  5. Also, stir the veggies to prevent them from burning.
For making the Gravy
  1. Heat a saucepan, add oil and add cumin seeds into the hot oil.
  2. Add onions and salt, saute till translucent.
  3. Add ginger/garlic paste and saute.
  4. Add coriander powder, cashew nuts, chili powder and give it a stir.
  5. Add tomatoes and close with the lid, cook till tomatoes are mashed well.
  6. When the gravy cools down, transfer to a blender and make into a smooth paste, adding water if needed to thin down the gravy.
Pouring the sauce on the half roasted chicken
  1. After the initial 30 minutes of baking, take the chicken out of the oven.
  2. Pour the sauce/gravy evenly all over the chicken.
Final Baking
  1. Spread the sauce all over the chicken, bake it for another 40 minutes, uncovered.
  2. Make sure to check the chicken and stir the veggies occasionally.
Carving
  1. After 40 minutes of baking, take the bird out of the oven and let it cool for some time.
  2. Carve the bird with a carving knife.
How to Carve
  1. Holding a drumstick in one hand and a carving knife in the other, slice through the meat connecting the bones.
  2. Twist the drumstick with your hand to pop the joint, then disconnect it from the body by slicing through the joint.
  3. Carve the thighbone, by cutting the meat around the thighbone and slice through the joint to remove.
  4. Using a carving fork to hold the wing steady, make a deep horizontal cut above the wing point.
  5. Hold the chicken with the carving fork and slice the breast. Each slice will fall when the knife reaches the cut from step 4
  6. Slice behind the wing joint to remove the wing. Repeat steps 1 to 6 on the other side.
Notes
You could use skin on chicken.
If you don't have an oven, pan fry the chicken in a large pan or wok until cooked well.
Recipe by Cooking with Thas - Smart Cooking, Smart Living at https://thasneen.com/cooking/baked-whole-chicken-with-egg-stuffing-hard-boiled-eggs/