Chicken Sajji (Balochi-Style Roast Chicken Stuffed with Spiced Rice)
A whole chicken rubbed with garlic, pepper and raw papaya, then roasted with a fragrant rice and raisin stuffing until the skin is deep gold. A showpiece dinner made in a home oven.
Ingredients
Equipment: Roasting tray with rack, kitchen string, aluminium foil, meat thermometer, large pot, small pan, basting brush
Method
Pat the chicken dry. Make deep slashes in the thighs, drumsticks and breast, then pierce the skin all over with a fork so the marinade can get in.
Mix the papaya paste, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, chilli flakes, turmeric and oil into a thick paste. Rub it over the chicken, inside the cavity and into every slash.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the best flavour. Take the chicken out 30 minutes before roasting.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the drained rice and boil for 5 to 6 minutes until the grains are about 70 per cent cooked, with a firm white core when bitten. Drain well and spread out on a tray to steam dry.
Heat the ghee in a pan over medium heat. Fry the onion for 6 to 7 minutes until golden, then add the cumin seeds, cardamom and cloves and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the green chillies, raisins and almonds and stir for 1 minute. Fold this gently into the parboiled rice with 1 tsp salt, keeping the grains whole. Cool for 10 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Spoon the rice loosely into the chicken cavity, filling it about three-quarters full, and tie the legs together with string. Tuck the wings under the body.
Place the chicken breast-side up on a rack in the tray. Toss the potatoes in any leftover marinade and put them around it. Cover the chicken loosely with foil and roast for 45 minutes.
Remove the foil and brush the chicken with melted ghee. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes more until the skin is deep golden and the thickest part of the thigh reads 74°C. The stuffing must also reach 74°C, and the potatoes should be tender.
Rest the chicken for 10 minutes before carving. Scatter with coriander, then serve the rice from the cavity alongside the chicken and potatoes.
Cooking tips
- Do not pack the stuffing tightly. Loose rice heats through evenly and reaches a safe temperature.
- Check the temperature of both the thigh and the centre of the stuffing. Return to the oven if either is below 74°C.
- Do not marinate with papaya for longer than 12 hours, as the meat can turn mushy.
- If the skin browns too fast, cover the breast with foil again for the last 10 minutes.
Substitutions
- Use 1 tbsp meat tenderiser or 3 tbsp plain yogurt instead of raw papaya paste.
- Swap the almonds for cashews or pistachios, or leave out the nuts.
- Use a 1.5 kg small leg of lamb, roasted for about 2 hours, if you want a more traditional sajji.
- Use oil instead of ghee if you prefer.
Serve with
"Serve with mint chutney, sliced onion and lemon wedges, a cucumber and tomato salad, and warm naan or roti."
Storage
"Remove the stuffing from the chicken and refrigerate the meat and rice separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days."
Reheating
"Cover the chicken with foil and warm in a 180°C oven for 15 to 20 minutes until hot throughout. Reheat the rice with a splash of water, covered, in the microwave or in a pan until steaming."
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Not shown for this recipe because it can’t be estimated reliably (for example, oil absorbed during deep frying varies a lot).
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