Spicy Chicken Ghee Roast.

“Spicy Chicken Ghee Roast” ….. A delicious, aromatic and classic mouthwatering dish which not only looks fiery red and hot but tastes also spicy and wonderful. A Coastal dish that originated from Kundapura, A well known city in Karnataka State. You can have this dish with panpolo (neer dosa), rice, roti, paratha, chapathi, naan, biryani, pulav etc. ….. Yumz ….. 

Chicken Ghee Roast is a dish I am sure every non vegetarian has heard off or even relished at some point or the other. I have had this dish a few times in restaurant in Mangalore my Native Place. At some places it was good and at some places a little bit burnt sort off. Guess the cook was in a hurry. Many a times this left me wondering at the fancy the dish had taken as I did not find it that exciting. All my visits to Mangalore always had been flying visits. Due to my commitments in job I could never stay and enjoy the bygone days of childhood very much. 5 years back while attending a function, I made it a point to stay at a place which was the center hub of the city so that I could really catch up on my lost time. It was during this time that I enjoyed this very dish in a small place and it left me craving for more. I made this a few times, sometimes from some net recipes and sometimes with ready packs. Somehow I could not get that taste which I had relished. This recipe is the closest I could get too in that taste. Many trials more I guess. But in all this is an awesome dish that can be relished with roti, rice, paratha etc. But I simply love this with Panpolo / Neer Dosa another Amchi favorite dish. Panpolo / Neer dosa and chicken curry is one of my favorite combo learned from a Shetty friend of mine. So go ahead and enjoy this curry with whichever accompaniment of your choice.

Ingredients :

Chicken (Boneless) : 500 gms.

Marinade :

Curds : 1 tblsp

Turmeric / Haldi Powder : a pinch

Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder : ½ tsp.

Salt to taste.

For Masala :

Onion : 1 large sliced lengthwise thinly.

Garlic : 10-12 with skin.

Methi Seeds : ¼ tsp

Pepper corns : ½ tsp

Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder : 4 tblsp + ½ tsp.

Coriander Powder : 1 tsp

Jeera Powder : ½ tsp

Fennel Powder : ½ tsp

Tamarind : one small lemon sized ball.

Oil : 2 tblsp

Ghee : 2-3 tblsp + 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Wash and pat dry about 500 gms of chicken and put it in a wide bowl. I used boneless pieces. Add in a tablespoon of curds, pinch of haldi / turmeric, ½ tsp of red kashmiri chilly powder and salt to taste. Mix well, cover with a tight lid and put it in the fridge for about 3-4 hours. Let the chicken get marinated in the masala well. Remove and keep it out for about half an hour before preparing to cook the same. In a thick bottomed kadai add in a 1 tsp of ghee, let it heat, when hot enough add in the chicken pieces along with the marinate and mix well. Cook covered and stiring in between till the chicken is almost cooked. You can sprinkle some water if too dry and necessary ie if you find the chicken getting burnt. Remove and Keep this aside. 

Heat 2 tblsp of oil in a thick bottomed kadai, add in onion and fry till brown in colour on medium heat. Now add in 10-12 garlic with skin and fry for a few seconds. You can use peel of the skin of garlic and use too, whichever is suitable to you. I retain the skin as it is, coz. when ground it adds on more flavor. Now further add in ¼ tsp of methi seeds, ½ tsp of black pepper corns and fry for a minute then add 4 tblsp of kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tsp of coriander powder, ½ tsp of jeera powder, ½ tsp of fennel powder and mix well and fry for 2 minutes. Remove and cool a little bit. Put all the ingredients in a mixer grinder along with a small lemon sized ball of tamarind and grind to a smooth paste with little bit of water. Do not add more water. The ground paste should be thick and very smooth in texture. So be careful with addition of water. You may increase or decrease the level of spices depending upon individual taste. But this is a very spicy dry roasted dish which is enjoyed spicy. The ghee reduces the spiciness to certain extent too.

In another kadai, add 2-3 tblsp of ghee of fresh homemade ghee, when hot lower the heat to medium and add in the 1/2 tsp of red chilly powder, leave for a second, the powder will spread a nice colour in the oil. Now add all the ground masala and mix well. Fry the masala well till it starts thickening and ghee starts leaving the sides of masala. Now add in the cooked chicken pieces and salt to taste and mix well. Remember to be careful with addition of salt as the marinade for chicken had in salt too. Cover and let the chicken cook well in the masala till it coats the chicken pieces well. Keep stirring in between to avoid the masala or chicken getting burnt at the bottom. This cooking will take a good 10-15 minutes. Once the chicken masala has thickened and dried up a bit with thick coating the chicken pieces remove from fire. Chicken Ghee Roast is done. You may garnish the dish with finely chopped coriander leaves. I have not. Serve this with panpolo (neer dosa) roti, naan, chapati or even rice, pulav, biryani. Goes well with any dish. Enjoy this dish with your family and friends.