Kozhi Nirachathu/Stuffed Chicken

Today I am going to share with you a very special dish, called "Kozhi Nirachathu"(Stuffed chicken)...It is a special Malabar dish (north Kerala) and mainly served on special occations. Frankly speaking, I didn't have any idea about this dish and we never had  a chance to taste it before...One day whne I was browsing through some blogs I got this recipe idea from Malabar spices. I am so happy to see this kerala style recipe because here in US, for Thanksgiving dinner, I can try this recipe instead of the turkey.. If you have it with paratha or chapathi it is perfect combo.otherwise you can have the chicken as the main course just with some salad and bread stick.

If you like, you can make vegettable stuffing instead of egg...Next time I have to try with some potato..But this time I just followed the traditional way. Still I added some more vegetables for baking...Just try this one, sure you will try it again and again.. It is simple but it takes almost 3 hours to complete the whole cooking...But the dish is worth to our time .If u prepare this dish for guests sure they will ask for the recipe(if i like any dish i hardly forget to collect the recipe from them)

When my husband comes from office, he directly goes to the kitchen and checks the dishes one by one which I prepare for dinner..and he usually tastes each dishes and gives his comments.Today i prepared this one, he really loved this dish - "Kozhi Nirachathu"...While seeing the dish he told me "Ok, let's have dinner now itself" (it was only 6:30PM :))..Such kind of comments make me so happy..I always like to surprise him by making different dishes ..

Here in US, we can find the Rotisseri chicken (Grilled chicken) in almost all food store..Sometimes we used to buy that for our dinner..But that doen't have this kind of much massla (I mean kerala spicy) and stuffing..But today's chicken is really stuffed with our massla items...Because of the baking and frying the whole chicken gets that full flavor..So it is delicious..

Let's talk about the preparation..

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Preparation time: 2 hours

Cost of the item: 3.99 usd/Whole chicken

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 whole chicken

For marinating the chicken

Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp

Chili powder:2 tbsp

Salt: to taste

Oil: 1 tsp

For the stuffing

Boiled egg: 2 nos

Onion: 1 medium

Tomato: 1 medium

Garlic: 3 pods

Ginger: 1 mediumsize

Green chili: 2 nos

Turemeric Powder: 1/2 tsp

Chili Powder: 1 tsp

Coriander Powder: 1 tsp

Garam masala: 1tsp

Coriander Leaves: little

Curry leaves: 1 spring

Cashewnut: 5 nos(optional)

Raisins : 5 nos(optional)

Kitchen thread : 2 thread

For frying chicken

Oil: 1/4 cup

For the gravy

Fennel seed : 1 tsp

Onion: 1 medium

Tomato: 1 medium

Garlic: 3 pods

Ginger: 1 mediumsize

Green chili: 2 nos

TuremericPowder: 1/2 tsp

Chili powder: 1 tsp

Garam masala: 1tsp

For baking: 

Capsicum: 1/2 portion

Mushroom: 5 nos

Preparation

Step1: Clean the whole chicken. Apply some lemon juice while cleaning the chicken

Step2: Make a paste of turmeric powder, chili powder, salt and 1 tsp of oil...marinate the chicken with this paste and keep the marinated chicken in the refrigerator for 1 hour

Step3: Boil the eggs until it is fully cooked. While boiling the egg add 1 tsp of salt..It will help to prevent sticking shells on the boiled egg. Once the eggs are fully cooked transfer them into the cold water then peel off the shell and keep it aside

Step4: Prepare the Stuffing

1.Heat oil in a pan.Add the sliced onions (keep half of the onion slices for gravy) .

2.Once the onions get brown color add the ginger-garlic paste and the green chili.Saute well

3.Add tomato.Once the tomato get fried add the garam masala, turmeric powder and chili powder .Mix all together 

4.Add the coriander leaves and curry leaves.

5.Add the boiled egg into the mix and cook for 2 minutes in medium heat...

6.Switch off the heat and transfer the content into a bowl and keep it for stuffing.

Step5: Stuff the chicken with the above "egg-masala"

Stuff the egg masala inside the chiken..Put the egg first then the onion masala.Do not try to over stuff. Tie together the chiken legs first then chicken wings using the kitchen threads.

Step6:Fry the stuffed chicken

Heat oil in the pan..Fry the chicken until all the four sides get light brown (not necessary to fully fry the chicken)

Step7:Preheat the oven in 400F. Place the chicken in to the oven safe bowl..Place the breast side down .Add the veggies arround the chicken.Spray some  oil(used for frying the chicken). Bake it covered for 30 minutes ..Cover the bowl with an aluminium foil.

Step8:Preparing the gravy

1.Heat oil in the pan (use the same pan and oil used for frying the  chicken)...Add the onion once the oil get heated. Saute the onion for 2-3 minutes

2.Add the ginger garlic paste and green chili.saute for some time

3.Add the tomato.

4.Make a nice powder of fennel seed.Add this into the onion mix..Add the turmeric powder chili powder garam masala ..Saute for 5 minutes .

Step9: 

Pour this gravy into the half baked chicken and bake it for another 20-30 minutes in 400F uncovered.

The delicious Kozhi nirachathu is ready to have...

Cook's Tip

• You can add any vegettable.Here i used capsicum and mushroom..
• You can use cashewnuts and raisins and cuscus also for stuffing...
• If you want to make it spicy add more chili powder.
• If you do not like to add the gravy just leave the final step.
• If you do not like to use the oven, deep fry it in the oil for 30 minute in medium heat...
• If u like u can buy the Cornish game hen,Its available in all grocery store..