Chicken Cafreal

I first visited the sunshine state of Goa, on India’s west coast one summer with my parents. I think I must have been 13 or 14 and on the surface, Goa seemed no different from Bombay.

As the days passed, I began soaking the place the in. It is such a chilled out life: the slow pace of life, the affability of the people, the abundance of baked goods!  Maybe it was because I was on holiday, but since then, I have always had this image of Goa as a place where India goes to vacation.

The abundance of beaches, the remnants of Portuguese colonization, and the amazing cuisine all add to the charm of Goa. Its proximity to Mumbai also means that it is ideal for a quick getaway.

Goan cuisine is a assortment of Portuguese and Indian flavors. Indian spices unite with Portuguese techniques to create food that is hearty, and does justice to the coastal location of the state with an abundance of coconuts and seafood. I come from Ratnagiri which is quite close to Goa and so there are many similarities between the two cuisine. Konkanis also use a lot of coconut and love seafood.

One of my favorite Goan dishes is Chicken Cafreal (or Galinha Cafreal). Chicken is marinated in a green spice paste for up to 48 hours and then pan-fried. The result is falling-off-the-bone tender, succulent chicken that is packed full of beautiful flavors of chilli, ginger, garlic, cilantro, lime and other spices. I usually make it with boneless chicken now. Serves as a good party appetizer.

CHICKEN CAFREAL

Duration 50 Mins

Preparation 20 Mins

Cooking 30 Mins

Yields Serves 5 - 6

Ingredients:

1 kg Chicken (Drumsticks/ Legs/ Whole chicken cut into large pieces) OR If using boneless chicken then ¾ kg of boneless chicken, diced into tikka sized pieces
Juice of 1 Lime
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons Cooking Oil

For the Cafreal Masala (marinade):

7 – 8 Green Chillis (the hot Indian ones, reduce if you like less heat)
A small bunch Cilantro
2 inch piece of Ginger
10-12 Cloves of Garlic
8 Peppercorns
1 Big Piece Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
A Small ball of Tamarind (substitute with Juice of 1/2 lime, if you can’t find this)
4 – 6 Cloves

Directions:

Clean the chicken and make a few shallow slits in the chicken pieces. Rub the chicken with the salt and lime juice and keep aside.

Grind the ingredients for the Cafreal Masala to a fine paste (use a blender or food processor).

Apply the masala all over the chicken pieces, so they are well coated.

Refrigerate the marinated chicken and keep overnight or at least for 4-5 hours.

When ready to cook, heat the oil in a saucepan and add the chicken pieces and cook on a high flame for about 5 minutes, taking care not to burn the chicken. Then add any marinade that is leftover.

As the chicken begins to cook, add the butter and cook on a medium flame turning over the chicken once in a while.

The dish is ready when the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear.

Serve with wedges of lime, a light salad and some pav or crusty bread.