Chicken Ghee Roast

Being weekend, we have to have non-veg food; at least that is the expectation of both my sons. Today, I decided to try chicken ghee roast. It is one of the most popular dishes from Mangalore. This dish is supposed to be spicy and usually served with Neer Dosa or Ghee Rice. Large amount of ghee goes into making of this dish but that is what brings the flavor to this tasty Chicken Ghee Roast.......

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 Kg (cut into smaller pieces)

Ghee - 4 tbsp
Sugar - 11/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 5 to 6 for garnishing

For Marination:

Curd - 1 cup

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

Salt - To taste

For Spice Paste:

Corriander Seeds (dhania) - 2 tbsp

Cumin Seeds (jeera)- 1 tsp

Black Peppercorns (kali mirch) - 6-7
Fenugreek Seeda (methi) - 1/2 tsp

Garlic - 10-12 flakes

Tamarind - small lemon sized ball

Dry Red Chillies - 6-7 (if using "byadagi" chillies, then use 10-12)

Water - 2 tbsp or as required

Method:

1. Wash chicken pieces well. Marinate it with curd, lemon juice, red chilli powder and little salt. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours (I did it for one hour).
2. In a flat pan, dry roast red chillies on medium flame for 4-5 minutes. Keep aside to cool.
3. In the same pan, take 1 tsp ghee and roast corriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns on low flame for 4-5 minutes (make sure not to burn these spices). Keep aside and allow to cool.
4. Grind the roasted spices, red chillies, garlic flakes and tamarind together with 2 tbsp water to form a fine paste. Add little more water if paste is still too dry and difficult to grind.
5. In a non-stick pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee, add chicken pieces and cook covered on medium to high flame until chicken is almost cooked (it took around 8-10 minutes). Transfer the chicken pieces to another vessel and released juices / liquid to a separate bowl.
6. In the same pan, add remaining ghee, add ground spices and saute on medium flame for 5 minutes until ghee leaves the sides of the pan.
7. Add to it cooked chicken and reserved juice / liquid from the bowl. Add salt to taste. Saute well for 3-4 minutes. Make sure that all the chicken pieces mix well with spices.
8. Add sugar and mix.
9. Cook for 10 minutes on low to medium flame until chicken is cooked, juices are almost dried up and all chicken pieces are coated well with masala.
10. Remove in a bowl. Garnish with curry leaves.
11. Serve with white rice, ghee rice or Neer Dosa

Chicken Ghassi

Ingredients:

Chicken 1 kg curry cut

Coconut grated
Onion - 2 medium cut in 4 pieces
Onion - 1 medium finely chopped
Coriander Seeds - 3-4 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 2 tb sp
Black Peppercorn - 8-10
Clove - 3
Fennel seeds - 2 tsp
Dry Red Chilli - 10-12
Tamarind - lemon sized ball
Oil - 2 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Coconut Milk

Method:

1. Marinate chicken with salt, lemon, salt and little red chilli powder. Keep in freeze for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a hot pan, put 1 tsp oil, dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, peppercorn and fennel seeds. Roast until fragrant....keep it aside and allow to cool....
3. Roast coconut in the same oil until fragrant.....Grind coconut, roasted spices, tamarind and 2 medium sized onion into a smooth paste
4. In a pan, put 2 tsp oil and 2 tsp ghee....add finely chopped onion....saute till golden brown.
5. Add above ground paste and saute till it starts releasing oil.
6. Add marinated chicken.. Saute well and cook covered for 10 minutes so that chicken pieces as coated well with masala and it is now cooked.
7. Add coconut milk, salt to taste and sufficient water so that it has little thick consistency....Boil for 5 minutes.

Prawn Pulimunchi

Ingredients

Prawns - 500 gms

Onion - chopped lengthwise - 1

Dry Red Chillies - 10 to 12 

Coriander seeds - 1.5 tsp 

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp 

Fenugreek/Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp 

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp 

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp 

ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp 

tamarind - 1 lemon sized ball

Curry leaves - 1 handful

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Soak the tamarind in water for about an hour and extract the pulp.
2. Dry roast the chillies, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds and turmeric
3. Heat little oil in a pan and roast the onions, ginger garlic paste.
4. Use little water and grind the tamarind, roasted ingredients and onion, ginger garlic to a fine thick paste.
5. Now take a heavy bottomed pan, keep on low heat, add oil and the curry leaves.
6. When they splutter, add the paste, salt and bring it to a boil.
7. Add the prawns and cook for 10 mins.
8. Serve hot with rice.