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Kong kokur (saffron chicken)
Serves 4-5 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 8tsp sunflower oil or ghee
- 100g shallots, thinly sliced
- 8 cloves
- 8cm cinnamon stick
- 2tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 2tsp ground fennel
- 2tsp ground ginger
- 1tsp salt
- 2tsp saffron strands, soaked in 3tbsp lukewarm water
- 1kg whole chicken, skin removed
To serve
- chutneys, relishes, rice or vegetable side dishes
Method
Heat 5tsp of the oil or ghee in a large pan, add the shallots and fry until golden brown, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Once cool, blitz to a paste in a food processor.
Put all the whole and ground spices, along with the salt, in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar, and grind to a fine powder. In a bowl, combine this spice powder with the shallot paste and saffron water, along with the remaining oil or ghee. Mix together with a fork.
Apply the spice paste to the whole chicken, ensuring it is thoroughly covered, then leave to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C F/Gas 6). Put the chicken in a roasting tin and roast in the hot oven for 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the chicken to rest inside while you preheat the grill to high.
Put the chicken under the grill and cook for 15 minutes until browned on top. Serve with your choice of chutneys, relishes, rice and vegetables.
This recipe featured in the May 2022 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.
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