Indian Style Whole Baked Chicken

Initial Preparation:

1. Remove the chicken skin. Clean and wash the chicken thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towel.
2. Make shallow incisions into the chicken breasts, legs and thighs. Set aside.
3. Grind together the ingredients mentioned in 'To Grind' and make a fine paste.
4. Transfer the paste into a bowl, add in the spice powders, lemon juice, dried fenugreek leaves and salt. Mix well and make a semi-thick paste.
5. Rub the marinade into the chicken, both inside and outside. Make sure that all of the incisions are covered in marinade.
6. Using a kitchen twine, tie together the chicken legs tightly and then the ​chicken wings.
7. Refrigerate overnight for best results, or at-least 4-5 hrs.

Baking:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Arrange the chicken in the middle of a baking dish with breast side down.
3. Arrange the cut vegetables around the chicken(if using).
4. Cover the baking pan with an aluminium foil and bake for 40 minutes.
5. Then take the pan out and carefully flip the chicken to the other-side, where the chicken breast is upside now. Brush butter on chicken. Stir the veggies too(if using).
6. Cover the chicken again with aluminum foil, put it back into the oven.
7. Take water in a medium sized oven proof bowl, keep it on the lower rack of the oven. The water keeps the chicken soft and moist.
8. Now bake for another 30 minutes. Then take out the pan from oven, remove aluminium foil, apply butter on chicken. Stir the veggies too(if using).
9. Bake the chicken uncovered for another 10-20 minutes. It's a 1 Hr and 30 minutes of baking in total. Baking time may vary, depending on the size of the chicken and the oven model. So check now and then to avoid burning.
10. Take it out of the oven. Remove the twine and serve hot with pulao, jeera rice, rotis etc and raita on side.