Kothiyavunu.com

Flavors remind 'God's Own Country'

Join 100,201 other subscribers!

Sign Up, and Get More Recipes Delivered Directly To Your Inbox.

Around the World Breakfast & Dinner Breakfast/Dinners Plates By Categories Chicken & Poultry Eggs Fusion Indian Kerala Recipes Malabar Special Nadan Recipes Spicy Recipes

Kozhi Nirachathu /Stuffed Chicken with Gravy – Kerala Style

Yet another exotic dish straight from Malabar regions of Kerala (South India). The cuisine of Malabar offers some truly savourable salivating non vegetarian delicacies with a true blend of spices. Especially during festival season, a lot of variety can be found in meals and snacks.

Kozhi Nirachathu – Stuffed Chicken is much loved North Kerala Muslim specialty prepared at all special occasions including parties for newly married couples, Eid and Iftar. It is a preparation with whole chicken stuffed with spiced onions, dry fruits and boiled eggs and then baked.

I had this recipe marked to try for a long time but continually passed over it. Finally I decided to just give it a go, and now I am totally kicking myself for not trying it sooner. And I must say, this is definitely a fantastic recipe – I love it for many reasons. First and most importantly, it tastes amazing. Second, stuffing and the combination of spices gives it a really interesting flavor. It is little time consuming to make, but its worth all the effort.. I can’t wait to make these again!

Recipe for Kozhi Nirachathu /Stuffed Chicken with Gravy – Kerala Style

  Preparation Time : 2 hrs
  Cooking Time : 1 1/2 hrs
  Serves : 4


Ingredients :

Whole Chicken : 1 small 
For Marinating the Chicken :
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder : 3 tbsp
Lemon Juice : 1 tbsp
Salt, to taste
Oil : 1 tsp

For the Stuffing : 
Boiled egg :  1or 2 (depending on the size of your chicken)
Onion : 2 medium /2 cups (thinly sliced)
Tomato : 1 medium (finely chopped)
Garlic : 3 pods (minced)
Ginger : 1 medium size piece (minced)
Green chili : 2-3 nos (slit)
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder : 1 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1 tsp
Garam Masala : 1tsp
Coriander Leaves : little
Curry leaves : 1 spring
Cashew nut : 2 tbps nos (optional)
Raisins : 2 tsp nos (optional)
Kitchen Twine : 2 Thread (for tying the chicken’s hands and legs)

For Frying Chicken :
Olive oil /Cooking oil : 1/4 cup
For the Gravy :
Onion : 2 medium / 11/2 cups (finely chopped)
Tomato : 1 medium /1 cup (finely chopped)
Garlic : 3 pods (minced)
Ginger : 1 medium size (minced)
Green Chili : 2-4 nos (slit)
Fennel Seeds Powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder : 2 tsp
Coriander Powder : 2 tsp
Garam Masala or Biriyani Masala : 1/2 tsp
Coriander Leaves :  handful finely chopped
Water : 1/4 cup (optional – only if your gravy becomes dry)

Method of Preparation :

Marinating :
1. Clean the whole chicken; apply some lemon juice, rinse thoroughly and make slits on the chicken both inside and outside, for the masala to penetrate well.
2. Make a marinade using red chilly powder,turmeric powder, salt and 1 tsp of oil . Apply the paste all over the chicken both inside and outside. Cover it well with a plastic paper and refrigerate it overnight or for at least 2 hrs.

Preparing Stuffing :
1. Boil eggs, peel and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan, sauté the cashews and raisins until it turns to golden brown and puffs up. Remove from the pan and keep them aside.
3. In the same pan, add the sliced onions and saute till it turns to translucent and  brown color, now add the minced ginger-garlic, green chili and saute well.
4. Add the chopped tomato and saute till it turns to soft ad mushy. Add the garam masala, turmeric powder and chili powder and mix all together. Add the curry leaves and coriander leaves.
5. If your using nuts then add raisins and cashews and mix well. 
6. Add the boiled egg into the mix and cook for 2 minutes in medium heat.
7. Remove from the fire and transfer the into a bowl and keep it for stuffing.

Filling the Stuffing into the Chicken :
1. Stuff the above egg masala inside the chicken. Put the egg first then the masala. (Note : Do not try to over stuff) Tie together the chicken legs first then chicken wings using the kitchen twine.

Fry the Stuffed Chicken:
1. Heat oil in the shallow pan..Fry the chicken until all the four sides get light brown.Turn the chicken as and when needed. (Note : Not necessary to fully fry the chicken). Remove and drain the chicken in a paper towel and keep it aside.



 Baking Chicken : 
1. Preheat the oven in 400F. Place the chicken in to the oven safe bowl.
2. Place the breast side down. Spray some oil used for frying the chicken. Cover the bowl with an aluminium foil.

 and bake it covered for 30 minutes. (Note : Make sure you flip the chicken on all sides to ensure thorough cooking.)


Preparing the Gravy :
1. Heat  the same pan and oil used for frying the chicken.
2. Add the chopped onion  and  saute for couple of minutes. Add the minced ginger garlic and green chili saute for  till the raw smell goes.
3. Add tomatoes and sauté on medium heat till they mushy and start to leave from the sides of pan.
4. Add the all spice powders listed above “For Gravy” and fry them until it starts to spread a nice aroma.
5. Add the salt and mix together. (Note : Add little water if the mixture is dry)
6. Add chopped coriander leaves and mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.

Final Baking :

1. When the initial baking is done,take it out and pour the gravy all over the baked chicken and bake it uncovered for another 30-45 minutes.
(OR)
If you don’t have an oven, You can prepare it in the wok; place the fried chicken on the masala, cover with a lid and cook it on medium flame until done. 
Notes : 
You can also prepare this dish dry,without adding gravy and can also add any vegetable.
If you want to make it  less spicy  then add kashmiri chili powder / Paparika

Serve with Steamed rice or with Indian Bread and Enjoy!


Recipe Adapted from Malabar Spices.

Click here for more Malabar Recipes.

Cheers!
Sangeetha 

5/5 (1 Review)
5/5 (1 Review)


Sharing is Caring!

Comments

  4. kothiyavunu.com says

    Thanks everybody for your kind words. It brings me so much joy to read ur kind words 🙂

    @Honey..I changed my bg long back da..I think u didn't notice it properly 🙂

  8. Lena Rashmin Raj says

    mmmmmm..mmmm.mmmm
    mmmm.mmm.mmmmm
    mmmm.mmmmm.mmm
    vayil kappalodikkanulla vellamundu Sangee..
    mmmmmmmmm..
    bookmarking this.i was in search of this receipe… then stopped the plan by thinking it takes lots of oil…
    this looks amazing 🙂

  10. vincent says

    Hello,

    We bumped into your blog and we really liked it – great recipes YUM YUM.
    We would like to add it to the Petitchef.com.

    We would be delighted if you could add your blog to Petitchef so that our users can, as us,
    enjoy your recipes.

    Petitchef is a french based Cooking recipes Portal. Several hundred Blogs are already members
    and benefit from their exposure on Petitchef.com.

    To add your site to the Petitchef family you can use http://en.petitchef.com/?obj=front&action=site_ajout_form or just go to Petitchef.com and click on "Add your site"

    Best regards,

    Vincent
    petitchef.com

  14. Malli says

    The kozhi nirachathu looks ravishing! I have roasted one with Nadan flavors but never tried it with the tasty egg filling that you used…. Fabulous!

  19. Loveandcalories says

    You kill me with your food…u know that…..And in a good way I meant….I just want to get in to the computer & finish the chicken just like a Cannibal! Absolutely MouthWatering!!

  22. Torviewtoronto says

    we make a little similar frying and baking but I haven't added eggs for stuffing before love the aromatic flavours would be fabulous with ghee rice

JOIN US!

Sign Up, and Get More Recipes Delivered Directly To Your Inbox.

Pick Your Favourite!

Featured In

Media Mention 2|kothuyavunu.com