Full Chicken – Akkhu Margi Chergha chicken

For the initial marinade:

Either haldi or zafran about ½ teaspoon

Juice of one nimbu/equivalent vinegar

Some salt – mix all this in a bowl

Whole chicken weighing between 1.6 kg - 2 kg but not more

Wash the chicken well inside and out including the neck wings and legs. Leave it a while to dry out or wipe it dry.

Take a sharp knife and poke the chicken all over front back inside the thigh etc.

Smear with your hand the marinade above inside and out, leave a wee bit in the katora.

For placing inside the chicken:

Two boiled eggs

One medium boiled potato – smear the first marinade all over it.

Extra eggs and potato if needed (children love it) can be kept ready and placed around the chicken while its frying

Place it right away in the large vessel that you are going to use for frying

Second marinade:

Crisp fried onions of two large onions, crushed

Curd one large cup. If not sour, add some lime juice

3 teaspoons reddest chilly powder or according to taste

2 teaspoons salt or according to taste

1 teaspoon garam masala

I cup Finely chopped mint (don’t skip this) and coriander leaves

Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl and apply heartily to the chicken all over.

Over half of it will be still remaining. Leave it to add all around the chicken when its 90 percent done

 

Time to truss the chicken 

Place the two boiled eggs and the potato and stuff with a teaspoon of the marinade inside its belly.

Take some clean string. Pull the wings close and tie it all around, let it go over the legs. See that the opening is as closed off as possible and now take the string over towards the neck. Let the neck close over the top opening and tie it around. Use as much string as needed, maybe let it go all over again.

Leave chicken to marinade for half an hour at least or as long as you want

Take a large cup of oil or more and pour it all over and around the chicken when ready to cook.

Cook it on a high flame, then when golden brown turn it over and so on till all sides are golden brown

Lower heat, close the lid over the vessel and let it simmer. Place a broadbased cup/pan of water on the lid, so that the steam goes back down, after about 5 minutes remove lid, make sure the steam inside doesn’t burn your hand. Turn the chicken over, keep repeating till chicken is well done.

If only two are eating one doesn’t need the extra eggs and aloo however if making for more, add the boiled eggs, boiled aloo and the marinade around the chickem. Add extra oil if required.

Usually we eat with sheermal but not all like the sweetness. In that case serve with nan/rumali roti

Place it in a flat tray to serve