Indian Chicken

The secret of this chicken is the marinade. It gives it a distinctly Asian-Indian flavor. Mix up the marinade and soak a chicken for at least an hour--maybe overnight. The turmeric will make it a bright yellowish color.

Create the marinade in a one-gallon zip-top bag:. If you use whole spices, put all dry spices (up to the coriander but not including the ginger, if its fresh) in a spice grinder together and pulse it to turn them to fresh powder before adding.

Marinade

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or 1 tsp whole black pepper)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp ground cardamon (perhaps whole black cardamon would work)
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin (or 1 rounded tsp whole cumin)
• 1 tsp  ground coriander (or 2 tsp whole coriander)
• 1 tsp ground ginger (or 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh peeled ginger)
• 1 Tbsp finely minced garlic
• 2 tsp olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (or lime juice)
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste (optional)

Zip the top shut and "massage" to mix the spices into the lemony yogurt.

Take one whole chicken that is not frozen and

• optionally remove the skin
• optionally cut along the side of the backbone so it can open flat

Then put it in the bag, zip it up and get the marinade all around the chicken.

Then let it set in the refrigerator. 20 minutes is the practical minimum. Overnight works well. I don't know how long you could leave it and still get a good result.

There are several ways you can cook it. You want some variety of baking and/or broiling. All the usual checks for doneness apply. (Check the temperature or cut it open in the thickest part and make sure its not too pink or, on an unopened chicken, check the way the thigh joint feels for looseness.)

Three options for cooking

•  A whole, unopened chicken can be roasted or baked, breast up in a convection oven for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. If baking, use 400 degrees F. That time covers a normal 5 pound chicken. Add about 15 minutes per pound above that. Cook until done. (In a conventional oven, it will take a bit longer and won't be just right in the crispness.)
• An opened chicken can be broiled in the oven or over a gas flame or charcoal. The heat goes on the bony side first. So put bones up in the oven or down on a grill. Cook that one side until the tips become blackened. That would be between 15 and 30 minutes depending on the temperature. Turn it over and broil (or bake if in an oven) the other side toward the heat until done. 
• You can bake at 235 degrees F for about three hours. At that point, turn up the heat or broil until done. It won't be too long. This turns out very tender but its hard to get the outside properly crisp.