Chicken Ghee Roast is a classic spicy-tangy delicacy from my native. It was first invented in Shetty Lunch Home in a small coastal town of Kundapur in South India, but it became popular in Mangalorean restaurants. We get to relish this dish in all places now including some restaurants in Bangalore which specialize in coastal food. Now there are many versions of this dish, I make it in two ways - one with my very handy spice mix - Kundapur Masala Powder and the other with freshly roasted spices depending on the time I have to cook. Either way it can not go wrong as there are two great things in this dish "Indian spices" and lots of "ghee" (clarified butter).
One kg chicken needs about a cup of ghee, please do not skimp on the ghee as it brings out the special flavor of this dish. It's originally a spicy dish but you can reduce the amount of chillies to suit your taste. Please read on for the recipe.
Ingredients:
Chicken: 1 kg
Turmeric: 1 tsp
Lemon juice:2 tbsp
Curd: 1/2 cup Salt to taste
Ghee(clarified Butter): 1 cup
Curry Leaves: 1-2 sprigs
Sugar: 1 tsp
For the spice paste:
Dry red chillies (mild variety): 25-30
Garlic: 6-8 cloves
Coriander seeds : 2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
Blackpepper: 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds:1/4 tsp
Tamarind paste: 1 tbsp
Method:
1. Clean chicken and cut into medium size pieces (make gashes on the bigger pieces/drumsticks). Marinate the chicken with curd, lemon and salt, keep aside for 2-3 hours.
2. Heat a tsp of coconut oil and roast dry red chillies, Pepper corn, coriander, cumin and fenugreek seeds. Grind it with tamarind paste and garlic to a thick paste, add a little water as needed.
3. Heat 1/2 cup of ghee in a wok, add marinated chicken and saute for 10-15 mins or until the chicken is almost done.
4. In the meantime heat the remaining ghee in a small pan add curry leaves and let it crisp up a bit, add the spice paste, sugar,a pinch of salt and fry until the spice paste is roasted nicely and ghee separates.
5. Now add the roasted spice paste to half cooked chicken in the wok and cook the chicken. Keep sauteing until all the masala sticks to the chicken and dries out.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve as a starter or as a side dish with Dose/Appams.
Chicken: 1 kg
Turmeric: 1 tsp
Lemon juice:2 tbsp
Curd: 1/2 cup Salt to taste
Ghee(clarified Butter): 1 cup
Curry Leaves: 1-2 sprigs
Sugar: 1 tsp
For the spice paste:
Dry red chillies (mild variety): 25-30
Garlic: 6-8 cloves
Coriander seeds : 2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
Blackpepper: 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds:1/4 tsp
Tamarind paste: 1 tbsp
Method:
1. Clean chicken and cut into medium size pieces (make gashes on the bigger pieces/drumsticks). Marinate the chicken with curd, lemon and salt, keep aside for 2-3 hours.
2. Heat a tsp of coconut oil and roast dry red chillies, Pepper corn, coriander, cumin and fenugreek seeds. Grind it with tamarind paste and garlic to a thick paste, add a little water as needed.
or
Take a cup of thick tamarind extract, add 4-5 tbsp of kundapur masala powder and make a thick paste. 3. Heat 1/2 cup of ghee in a wok, add marinated chicken and saute for 10-15 mins or until the chicken is almost done.
4. In the meantime heat the remaining ghee in a small pan add curry leaves and let it crisp up a bit, add the spice paste, sugar,a pinch of salt and fry until the spice paste is roasted nicely and ghee separates.
5. Now add the roasted spice paste to half cooked chicken in the wok and cook the chicken. Keep sauteing until all the masala sticks to the chicken and dries out.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve as a starter or as a side dish with Dose/Appams.
