Chicken Ghee Roast | Classic Chicken Dish from Coastal Karnataka

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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. 

 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.  

 
 

  

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Kori Pulimunchi | Chicken Pulimunchi | Chicken in Tangy Spicy Sauce

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Kori Pulimunchi is a traditional dish famous in Tulunadu (Udupi/Mangalore). The name says it all that this dish stands for :-) Kori = Chicken, Puli = Tamarind(sour), Munchi = chilli so it's chicken in tangy, spicy gravy. It tastes great with neer dose, idli or aapam.

Recipe Type: Nonveg | Main dish

Prep time: 20 mins | Cooking time: 25 mins.

Ingredients:
Chicken: 500 gms cut into medium pieces.
Dry red chillies: 10
Coriander seeds: 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds:1/4 tsp
Black pepper :1 tsp
Garlic : 7-8 cloves
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Tamarind: 1 marble size
Kokam Skin /Punarpuli : 2 (Optional)
Chakke: 1 small piece (optional)
Lavanga: 1-2 (optional)
Coconut : 1 tbsp (optional)
Medium sized onion: 3
Curry Leaves: 2 sprig
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Oil: 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash and clean chicken and apply some salt, turmeric powder and a little ghee and keep it aside.

2. Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and pepper. Roast red chillies with a little oil and roast coconut until its golden brown in color.

3. Add tamarind, kokam skin, garlic and a little water to the roasted ingredients and grind to a smooth paste in a mixer.

4. Finely chop onions, keep 2-3 tbsp of onion separately for tempering later.

5. Heat oil in a deep pan and add the remaining onions and saute until its golden brown in color.

6. Add chicken pieces and fry for 4-5 minutes.

7. Next mix in the ground paste, salt and 1/2 cup water and cook it on medium flame until the gravy thickens and chicken is cooked completely. Adjust water to get the desired consistency of the gravy.

8. Heat ghee in a small pan and add curry leaves and 3 tbsp of onions that we had kept separately and saute until the onions turn brown.

9. Add this tempering to the chicken, close the lid and cook for a minute and turn off the flame.

10. Serve the delicious Kori pulimunchi with neer dose, dose, aapam or rice. It goes well with chapathi also.

Notes:
1. Adjust the amount of tamarind if you are not adding punarpuli/kokam peel (Mangosteen peel).
2. Coconut is optional but it gives a little substance to the gravy.
3. I like to keep it a bit dry to go with dose, if you are serving with rice you can add more water or coconut milk and make more gravy.

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Prawns Curry | A Mangalorean delight

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Prawns curry is a thick, creamy and spicy coconut based masala gravy cooked with prawn. Like any other curry it can be made in several different ways. I follow my mother in law's Mangalorean recipe with a small change. I add 2 tbsp of coconut cream to get a smoother and creamy gravy which is completely optional :-) Here is the quick recipe to make this super easy prawns curry.

Ingredients:

Prawns: 1/2 kg

Medium sized Onion: 1 

Garlic: 4-5 cloves

Tomato : 1

Ginger: 1 inch

Green chilli : 2

Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Coconut cream : 2 tbsp (optional)

Coconut oil: 2 tbsp

Turmeric: 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste.

Lemon juice: 1/2 tsp

For masala paste:

Fresh coconut: 1 cup

Dry red chillies: 6-7

Coriander seeds : 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds : 1/2 tbsp

Peppercorn: 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp

Garlic : 2-3 cloves

Tamarind : small marble size

Method:

1. Wash, devein and clean the prawns, sprinkle salt, turmeric powder and lemon juice and keep it aside for 15 mins.

2. In a deep pan dry roast red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, pepper and fenugreek seeds until the spices turn crispy and aromatic.

3. Grind it along with coconut, tamarind and garlic with 1/2 cup water to a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

4. Finely chop onion, garlic, tomato and ginger and slit green chillies.

5. Heat oil in the same pot and add garlic and curry leaves and sauté for 30 seconds.

6. Add onion and ginger and fry them until onions turn golden brown in color.

7. Add tomato and cook until it turns soft and oil separates.

8. Mix in ground paste, salt and 1 cup water and bring it to boil.

9. Add prawns and cook for 7-8 minutes.

10.Add coconut cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

11. Serve hot with boiled rice or steamed rice and lemon wedges.

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