Ani's Kitchen Stories

Mangalore Chicken Ghee Roast is a delectable Spicy Chicken recipe that’s aromatic and finger licking good. The goodness of Ghee (clarified butter) and the warm spices makes this unique dry roast chicken dish more appetising. Once you make it, there’s no turning back. You’ll definitely make it again and again for any occasion or for a family lunch or dinner.

Chicken Ghee Roast is a Mangalorean Cuisine and is prepared with freshly ground spices, ghee and the typical red colour of the dish is from the Byadgi chillies which gives the heat as well as the colour. However if you don’t have the Byadyi chillies, worry not, you can use any dry red chillies and substitute with Kashmiri Chilli Powder to get the maximum red colour.

Do not skip the part of using the fresh whole spices which gives the flavour and the taste. Dry roasting the whole spices before grinding makes them more aromatic.

The tanginess of the dish is obtained from the tamarind pulp which gives the unique taste of its own. Curry leaves is another quintessential element in the dish.

The original recipe may calls for Jaggery to balance out the spice and the heat. Here, I’ve added brown sugar instead as I ran out of Jaggery in my kitchen pantry.

Also it’s always best to use the fresh Curd or yoghurt in any dish. Marinating the Chicken with spices and yoghurt makes it tender and juicy while roasting.

To make the chicken more juicy, I’ve used Shallots or Madras onion which is pureed along with ginger, garlic, tamarind pulp and yoghurt. Shallots are small in size, mild, sweeter and less intense in taste and flavour compared to onions. If shallots are not available, you can substitute them with an onion in less number and quantity.

Ingredients:

Ghee Roast:

500 gms chicken with bone

6-8 Bedgi red chillies or any dry red chillies

3 shallots (madras onion) or 1 medium size onion

8 cloves garlic

1/2 inch ginger

3 tbsp curd/yogurt

1 tbsp tamarind pulp

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (optional)

1 tsp brown sugar

Salt to taste

4-5 tbsp ghee

2-3 sprigs of curry leaves

Whole Spices For The Masala:

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 inch cinnamon

3-4 cloves

1 tsp peppercorns

Instructions:

For The Ghee Roast Masala:

▪️ Heat a pan and dry roast the whole spices of cumin, coriander, fennel, fenugreek, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns for 2 to 4 minutes in medium flame. Transfer to a plate and let it cool.

▪️In the same pan heat the red chillies for 2-3 minutes. Do not let it burn. Transfer to a plate and let it cool.

▪️When the roasted whole spices are cooled enough, grind it to a smooth masala powder and transfer it to a bowl.

▪️Now in the mixture jar add the roasted chillies, shallots, garlic cloves, ginger, curd, tamarind pulp and lil water. Blend it to a fine paste.

▪️Add the chicken pieces into the bowl. Add 3 tbsp of roasted ground masala, salt, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder and half of the yoghurt spice mixture. Give a good massage to the chicken. Marinate the chicken for an hour or better overnight.

▪️In a large pan heat 2 tbsp of ghee and add the marinated chicken pieces. Fry the chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side. Then remove the chicken and put aside.

▪️In the same pan, add the remaining ghee and the remaining masala. Fry the masala in low flame for 10 minutes or until the ghee floats on top. Now add the brown sugar and stir. The masala should not be burned.

▪️Now add the fried chicken pieces back into the pan. Sprinkle few curry leaves. Stir and mix it until all the chicken pieces are coated well with the masala.

▪️ Cover and cook in low heat for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with remaining curry leaves and serve hot.

Notes: You can store the leftover Chicken Ghee Roast in an airtight container and refrigerate it for 4 to 5 days. It taste even better like Biryani when you fry it with leftover rice.