Pot Roast Chicken with Mustard

Many years ago, my friend Balachandra Shetty had invited us for dinner and his wife Anjali Shetty who is with Air India as hostess, had prepared a whole chicken roast in a pot. It was excellent and we had never tasted such a delicious dry chicken dish before. She passed on the recipe to Meena who prepared it 4-5 times whenever we had guests for dinner.

Yesterday, my nephew had come for dinner and after many years Meena roasted similar chicken in the pot for him. He liked it so much, he gobbled up half of the bird happily! So, my catchword is, prepare two whole birds if you have hungry youngsters at home. This one is gonna be a superhit anyway!

Ingredients:
Whole Chicken with skin - 1 Kg
Coarsely ground Ginger - 2 Tsp
Coarsely ground Garlic - 2 Tsp
Black pepper powder - 2 Tsp
Salt - 2 Tsp(Adjust according to taste)
Mustard powder or paste - 2 Tsp
Dark Soy Sauce - 2 Tsp
Lemon juice - Of 1 lemon
Cloves - 10-12
Cinnamon - 2" stick broken into small pieces
Butter or ghee - 4 Tsp

Method:
Prepare a paste combining the ingredients other than cloves and cinnamon.
Apply the paste on the chicken, inside out and stick the cloves and cinnamon pricking the flesh with a sharp knife point.
Marinate the chicken in the fridge for 24 hours.
Heat butter/ghee in a nonstick pan.
Place the marinated chicken in the pan on high heat and allow the chicken to get browned on one side.
Turn over and brown the other side as well.
Now close the lid and simmer for 15- 20 mins.
Turn over again and close the lid. Simmer for another 15-20mins
Open the lid, raise the heat and carefully turn the chicken and keep it sideways to brown the drumstick portion.
After 5 mins, turn over again and allow the other drumstick side to get browned.
When the juices have evaporated and the chicken is tender, remove and trasfer to aa platter.
Serve with lemon wedges and choice of salads.