A Mangalorean delicacy, chicken ghee roast is a classic recipe among South Indian chicken appetizer / side dish. It is spicy and tangy although you can adjust the spice level to suit you. Today almost every Mangalorean restaurant serves ghee roast. Here is home made divine dish of Mangaluru.

Preparation time – 20 min

Marination time – 4 to 5 hours

Serves – 5 to 6

Ingredients  :

Chicken – 1 Kg

Ghee – 2 to 3 tbs

Ginger – 2 inches (chopped to small pieces)

Garlic – 1 whole (skin out and chopped to small pieces)

Curry leaves – 1 Bunch

FOR MARINATION:

Juice of lemon – 1 no

Yogurt – 2 tbs

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

FOR MASALA:

Red chilies – 20 to 30 nos ( Remove the inner seeds)

coriander seeds – 1 tbs

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Pepper – 1/2 tsp

Fennugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp

Tamarind – small pieces (marble size)

Garlic – 10 cloves (optional)

Procedure:

Clean the chicken pieces, wash and drain.

Marinate it with ingredients mentioned (for marination) and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours.

Heat a tawa and dry roast chilies, pepper, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennugreek seed separately one by one and keep  aside. (Take care to see that chilies don’t over burn as they let out a bitter taste). Take a mixer jar add all the ingredients (for masala) as shown above grind it to a fine paste by adding yogurt and water into the jar and keep aside.

Take a kadai add marinated chicken pieces, cook till water evaporates fully and till the chicken is done.

Heat a kadai, add ghee in to it when ghee becomes hot add grounded masala saute for a while till ghee separates.

Add chopped ginger, garlic and curry leaves mix altogether, then add chicken pieces mix altogether and close the lid for 5 to 8 minutes (if you gravy add  a cup of water).

Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves (chopped) and roasted cashews serve hot as an appetizer or a side dish with neer dosa, rice etc.

Note: if you like sweetish in taste add 2 tsp of sugar while cooking or 2 tsp of jaggery.