Kolkata Jewish Roast Chicken
I had first shared this recipe for Kolkata Jewish Roast Chicken here on Yosef’s blog.
I am writing this up again, today not really because I am an Indian giver (after all, you are supposed to keep the guest blog recipes off your site). Over time, I have simplified the recipe and want to keep this simpler version for posterity.
The Story of my Kolkata Jewish Roast Chicken
I have to confess, all things considered, the flurries today have totally cramped my style. I mean, here I thought spring was all around and beginning to happily settle in and now snow. Enough snow to pile on about an inch. Both the kids had birthday parties, so no lunch at home. To make up, I cooked up a warming and nourishing dinner. The best part of this dish really is the onions. As I was reading on a post at the kitchn, good things happen when you cook chicken and vegetables together, and this by the way is their passover menu.
Adapting for Simplification
The original version of this recipe is something called Murg Mahallah given to me by a friend from family archives. A recipe for fried and marinated chicken. This recipe retains enough flavor to stay moist and flavorful during the roasting process. So I find no need for frying. The frying probably happened because most Indian homes did not have ovens back in the day.
Given the roots of this recipe, I could not help thinking of Passover, and it is possibly serendipity that I blog about it know. The eight-day festival of Passover is celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan. It commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. And, by following the rituals of Passover, we have the ability to relive and experience the true freedom that our ancestors gained.
Well, while this recipe will not give you the unleavened bread, it does incorporate fenugreek in a very delightful form, so if you are not sure about the bitter herbs part of things this will take care of that bit for you.
A Kolkata style Jewish roast chicken (my adaptation from an original fried dish)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 11/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Salt to taste
- 1 1-inch piece of fresh peeled ginger
- 4 pods of garlic
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 whole 3 pound organic chicken skinned
- 10 baby potatoes, halved (and peeled, this depends on the potato being used)
- 1 or 2 sweet potatoes (I use purple)
- 10 to 20 red pearl onions
- 2 tablespoons raisins (optional)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- To garnish – lime or lemon slices, lots of chopped cilantro and red pepper or paprika to taste
Instructions
- Coarsely pound the cumin, coriander and black peppercorns in a mortar.
- Place in the blender and squeeze in the lime juice over the spices.
- Add in the salt, sugar and the ginger and garlic and process into a smooth paste.
- Rub this mixture over the chicken and set aside for 6 hours in the refrigerator, it can be done up to 2 days ahead.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the chicken in a roasting pan, mix in the turmeric.
- Scatter the potatoes. sweet potatoes and onions over the chicken.
- Add in the raisins if using, and drizzle with the oil.
- Bake the chicken for about 2 and 1/2 hours, occasionally stirring to turn and baste with the juices.The cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken. Make sure to spoon the basting liquid over both the chicken and the vegetables.
- Place on a serving dish, garnish with the lemon or lime and cilantro.
- Sprinkle with the paprika or red pepper and serve.
Notes
Most of the prep time is for marinating.