Chicken ghee roast
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Chicken coated in a fiery red masala of roasted byadgi chillies and spices, cooked down in plenty of ghee, from Kundapura and Mangaluru.
Region: Coastal Karnataka (Kundapura, Udupi and Mangaluru)Occasion: Special meals; eaten with neer dosa or appamTime: 1 hourServes: 4Non-vegetarian
Ingredients
- 750 g chicken, cut into pieces
- 1 cup curd
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
- 15 dried byadgi chillies
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp tamarind extract
- 1 tsp jaggery
- ½ cup ghee
- A sprig of curry leaves
Method
- Marinate the chicken in curd, turmeric, lemon juice and salt for 1 hour.
- Roast the chillies, coriander, cumin, pepper and fenugreek in a little ghee on low heat. Grind with garlic and tamarind to a fine paste.
- Heat half the ghee in a heavy pan. Fry the masala paste on low heat for 8–10 minutes until deep red and fragrant.
- Add the chicken and cook on medium heat, stirring, until it is done and the masala is thick.
- Add the remaining ghee, jaggery and curry leaves and roast until the ghee separates and the masala clings to the chicken.
- Serve hot with neer dosa or appam.
History
Ghee roast is widely traced to restaurants in Kundapura in Udupi district in the second half of the 20th century, and spread from there to Mangaluru and beyond.
Significance
It is one of the most popular dishes of coastal Karnataka’s restaurants, known for its use of the mild, deep-red byadgi chilli grown in Haveri district.