Kundapur Chicken Ghee Roast

Kundapur Chicken/ Ghee Roast

This is a relatively young recipe compared to others in my recipe file. It originated about 50 years ago in my hometown Kundapur. Kundapur is a beautiful coastal town, washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea. It has been influenced by many cultures historically and has a mixed variety of food. The Kundapur Chicken Ghee Roast has gone viral now with everyone claiming to have the perfect recipe. There are many versions both simple and elaborate and I have posted a very simple version on my blog a few years ago. The basic ingredients are the ghee, Country chillies and Ghat Chillies ( we use a mixture of chillies for colour and flavour) and spices. I prefer to use the Kundapur Masala Powder which is my grandma’s recipe and which my Mum always made and stored in vast quantities. The flavour is phenomenal and can be addictive.

Kundapur Chicken Ghee Roast is made by stir-frying (or roasting as it is called in India) chicken in large amounts of ghee, spices and a teeny weeny piece of jaggery and a small amount of tamarind. And this is what this recipe is all about.

The Recipe:

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The Ingredients:

1.5 kg chicken without skin, cut medium, wash and drain; 2 tbsp ghee; 5 sprigs curry leaves; 1 large onion, cut fine

Marinade For Kundapur Chicken Ghee Roast :

½ cup thick home made curds; 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste; juice of ½ lemon; 1/2 tsp chilli powder; salt to taste; ½ tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp coriander powder; ½ tsp pepper powder.

Masala:

1 tbsp Kundapur Masala Powder or more or less to taste; 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste; 1 tsp tamarind; 1 small piece jaggery ( equal to 1 tsp brown sugar);1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Marinade the chicken preferably overnight in the refrigerator. If you are short of time 30 minutes should do.

Crush the jaggery and soak in ¼ cup water with the cinnamon and tamarind for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve liquid for use.

Heat the ghee in a large pan , lower flame and fry onions golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and 2 sprigs curry leaves and stir fry till you get a great aroma. Add the Kundapur Masala Powder and the tamarind mixture and stir fry for a couple of minutes until the aroma is irresistible, Add the marinated chicken and gently mix. Cover and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes.

Turn the heat to high and gently stir fry the chicken until all the water has evaporated and the masala coats the back of the spoon and of course the chicken pieces. You know it’s ready when you get the urge to sample one piece. Now is the time to throw in the curry leaves, give it a quick stir and remove from the flame. Serve with any traditional Mangalorean Rice Breads like Battalu dosai or Neeru Dosai. You can also serve it with white rice. I like to serve it with Jeera Rice. Whatever way you serve it, your guests will be licking their fingers and wiping the masala off their plates in gastronomical ecstasy.

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