Chicken Cafreal Recipe (Goan Green Masala Chicken)
Chicken Cafreal is a spicy, tangy, and rustic Goan preparation where chicken is marinated in a green-colored Cafreal paste before cooking. Make it using my easy recipe.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
For The Cafreal Paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons white poppy seeds (khus khus) skip if not available
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 5-6 cloves (laung)
- 1 cup cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) packed, rinsed
- ¼ cup mint leaves packed, rinsed
- 2 teaspoons peeled and chopped ginger
- 4-5 peeled garlic cloves
- 4-5 green chilies medium spicy
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
To Marinate The Chicken
- 4 bone-in skinless whole chicken legs with thighs
- Cafreal paste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 4 tablespoons oil for frying
Instructions
Make The Cafreal Paste
- Add all the ingredients to a blender along with 2 tablespoons of water.
- Blend to make a smooth paste. Scrape the sides of the blender a few times.
Add 1-2 tablespoon of water if needed to make the paste.
Marinate The Chicken
- Wash chicken pieces and pat them dry using paper towels.
- Make gashes using a sharp knife in the chicken.
- Add the chicken pieces to a large bowl.
- Add the Cafreal paste, turmeric powder, salt, and sugar to the bowl and mix well.
- Cover the bowl with a cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or 12 hours for the best result).
Fry The Chicken
- Heat oil in a large wide pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, arrange the chicken pieces in the pan in a single layer.
- Fry undisturbed for 5 minutes on each side.
- Add the leftover marinade to the pan along with ¼ cup of water and mix gently.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove the lid and increase the heat to high.
- Cook until the chicken pieces are dry. Flip a few times while cooking. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
Some Goan homes also add a splash of dark rum at the end of cooking, which adds a beautiful flavor of its own.
You can replace the lime juice with white vinegar, too.
Adjust the green chilies as per your taste.
Use bone-in chicken thighs with legs for the best flavor. You can also use a whole chicken, cut into 1-½-inch pieces.
If you want to use boneless chicken, then use 400 g of skinless, boneless chicken thighs for the best flavor. They are juicy and succulent. If you want a leaner dish, then you can use chicken breast as well.
Nutrition
Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 739mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg
