- 1.7kg avg whole chicken
- 1½ shallot
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1½ lemon
- 225g yogurt
- 60g tomato sauce
- 1½-2 tsp garam masala
- A handful of coriander
- 2 tbsp sunflower, coconut or rapeseed oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Roasting tin
- 1.
Heat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Remove the chicken from its wrapping and remove the giblets, which you can save for making stock (see our tip below). Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper. Place the chicken in a roasting tin and let it come up to room temperature for about 30 mins-1 hr.
- 2.
Meanwhile, peel and finely chop or grate the shallot into a bowl. Peel and crush or grate the garlic and add it to the shallot. Zest in the lemon and squeeze in the juice from 1 half.
- 3.
Add the yogurt to the bowl along with the tomato sauce and 1-2 tsp garam masala (depending on how spicy you’d like your roast). Finely chop the coriander stalks and stir them in. Pour in 2 tbsp oil and add plenty of salt and pepper. Stir well to thoroughly mix.
- 4.
Coat the chicken with the spiced yogurt, spooning it all over and rubbing it in. Loosely cover the chicken with a large piece of foil, scrunching it to the edges of the roasting tin. Roast in the oven for 1 hr, then take the tin out of the oven, remove the foil and baste with the juices in the tin. Slide the chicken back in the oven, uncovered, and roast for 30 mins to crisp up the skin.
- 5.
Check the chicken is cooked by inserting a skewer or sharp knife into the thigh. The juices should run clear. If not, return the chicken to the oven and roast for 5-10 mins more till they do.
- 6.
Lift the chicken out of the tin onto a board or warm plate. Loosely cover with foil and set aside to rest for at least 30 mins.
- 7.
Slice the chicken and arrange it on a serving plate. Garnish with the coriander leaves and serve.
- Tip
On the side
Try Bombay roast potatoes to go with your Indian-inspired roast chook. Simmer chopped potatoes for 5 mins, then drain well and tip into a roasting tin. Heat a few tbsp oil in a frying pan, then add a large pinch of black mustard seeds and cumin seeds to the oil. Sizzle for 30 secs then pour the spiced oil over the spuds. Add 1 tsp garam masala and a good pinch of salt to the tin and toss the potatoes to coat. Roast for 40 mins at 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. - Tip
Take stock
A giblet stock is easy to make - just pop the giblets in a large pan with a sliced onion, chopped carrot, celery, a bay leaf and a few sprigs of thyme and parsley. Add 2 ltrs water. Cover, bring to the boil, then simmer for 2 hrs. Strain into a tub and store in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Perfect for soups, risottos and gravies.
