This chicken ghee roast recipe is a total flavour bomb! Imagine tender chicken pieces marinated in a hearty masala and then slow-cooked in ghee. Doesn’t that sound irresistible? The roasted spices give this dish a lovely aroma and a flavour that you can’t get enough of!
When it comes to Mangalorean food, I don’t think there is a dish as popular as chicken ghee roast. It has everything you’d expect from a great chicken dish - tender, juicy pieces of chicken, a delicious masala and lots of flavour in every bite. Plus, the aromatic spices will make your entire house smell so invigorating, and that’s something we foodies love, right!?
Love South Indian food? Try Nee Idli Dosa Batter, Millet Mysore Masala Dosa, Chutney Recipes, Tomato Chutney - 2 Ways, Jesse's Rasam Recipe | Tomato Rasam and South Indian Style Egg Curry
Also, known as Kundapur chicken ghee roast, this dish features a deliciously rich masala made by roasting a handful of Indian spices. The same masala is used to both marinate the chicken as well as cook the dish in, making sure each piece of chicken is perfectly coated in the mouth-watering masala. The best part though, is that the masala of this Mangalorean chicken ghee roast is fried in ghee to deliver the rich and heavenly taste of ghee in every single bite. I am not kidding when I say that this dish is so addictive that you’ll want to eat again and again!
- An aromatic chicken dish that’s bursting with oodles of flavour in every bite.
- Can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Can be served with so many different things, including neer dosa, roti and even plain rice.
- Most of the ingredients needed are pantry staples.
- The ghee roast masala is freezer-friendly too. It can be made ahead and stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks
Ingredients you'll need for chicken ghee roast
Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients as they’re easily found in most Indian kitchens.
- For the masala:
- Chillies: I have used a mix of Kashmiri red chillies and Byadgi red chillies. Kashmiri red chillies lend the dish its colour, while Bedgi red chilli lends both colour and spice and is more commonly used in South Indian dishes.
- Whole spices: This recipe requires a bunch of whole spices and is responsible for that delicious flavour and aroma. I have used peppercorn coriander seeds, jeera and methi seeds for this recipe.
- Garlic cloves: Super important ingredient that gives the masala an added boost of flavour and aroma.
- Tamarind paste: I soaked a teaspoon of tamarind in some water and then made a paste out of it. But you can use readymade tamarind paste as well.
- For the ghee roast:
- Chicken: I have used boneless chicken thigh pieces as they are really tender and juicy. But you can use any part of the chicken you like. Chicken pieces with bone work really well for this recipe too.
- Ghee: This is the soul of the entire dish and I would not recommend skimping on it. Make sure to use pure, fresh ghee for the best flavour and aroma.
- Sugar: Helps bring all the flavours together and adds a touch of sweetness to the entire dish.
- Curry leaves: No South Indian dish is ever complete without curry leaves. Added as a garnish and gives the dish a lovely, nutty flavour.
- Coriander: Adds a dash of freshness to the whole dish. This one’s optional, but I highly recommend it.
How to make chicken ghee roast
Here's a step-by-step collage showing you how to make Chicken Ghee Roast:
1. Add peppercorn, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds to a frying pan. Dry roast on medium flame for 2-3 minutes or until the raw smell goes. Transfer to a plate. Add kashmiri and byadgi dry red chillies and dry roast for 2-3 minutes. Remember to stir continuously. Do not burn the spices. Transfer to a plate. Add garlic and roast for 2-3 minutes.
2. Transfer all the spices to the chutney jar of a mixer.
3. Add tamarind and blend masala till smooth. Add about 3-4 teaspoons of water, one spoon at a time, as required to make a thick, smooth paste.
4. Set aside.
5. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the masala to the chicken and mix to combine. Cover and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 2 hours.
6. For the best results, marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Reserve the remaining masala for later. Remove the chicken from refrigerator at least half an hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature
7. In a large pan or kadhai, heat half the ghee and add the chicken. Don't crowd the pan, instead cook chicken in batches.
8. Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each sideUse tongs to remove and keep aside.
9. In the same pan, add the remaining ghee and the remaining masala. Fry the masala till it starts drying up and all the water evaporates. This takes about 6-8 minutes. The masala should turn a deep reddish maroon color and all the ghee should come to the top.
10. Add salt and sugar and cook.
11. Add the chicken pieces back to the pan along with a bit of water if necessary.
12. Mix to ensure the masala fully coats the chicken.
13. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
14. Sprinkle with curry leaves and serve hot.
Richa’s top tips to make the best chicken ghee roast
- It is important to allow all the roasted masalas to cool down completely before blending them to prevent accidents.
- If you are cooking this dish in advance, make sure to store it in an airtight container.
- Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator for at least an hour and allow it to come to room temperature before you start cooking.
- When roasting the spices, keep the flame on low and stir it continuously to cook everything evenly and prevent the spices from burning.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan when cooking the chicken. Cook the chicken in small batches to make sure it cooks evenly.
If you haven’t tried it yet, consider this your sign to make it this weekend. The flavour of this chicken ghee roast gravy is best when eaten with neer dosa. But it tastes equally great when eaten with plain rice, roti or even regular dosas. Oh, and remember to make extras because this one gets over pretty quickly!
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Chicken Ghee Roast
Ingredients
Masala
- 15 Kashmiri Chillies
- 12 Byadgi Red Chillies Spicy Version
- 15 Pepper Corns
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Coriander Seeds
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- ½ Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
- 15-20 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Teaspoon Tamarind Paste 1 Teaspoon tamarind soaked in water
Ghee Roast
- 1 Kg Chicken
- ½ Cup Ghee
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Teaspoon Sugar
- 2 Sprigs Of Curry Leaves
Instructions
Masala
- Add peppercorn, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds to a frying pan. Dry roast on medium flame for 2-3 minutes or until the raw smell goes. Transfer to a plate. Add kashmiri and byadgi dry red chillies and dry roast for 2-3 minutes. Remember to stir continuously. Do not burn the spices. Transfer to a plate and allow it to cool. Add garlic and roast for 2-3 minutes.
- Once cooled, tansfer all the spices and garlic to the chutney jar of a mixer.
- Add tamarind and blend masala till smooth. Add about 3-4 teaspoons of water, one spoon at a time, as required to make a thick, smooth paste. Set aside.
Ghee Roast
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of the masala to the chicken and mix to combine. Cover and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 2 hours. For the best results, marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Reserve the remaining masala for later.
- Remove the chicken from refrigerator at least half an hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature
- In a large pan or kadhai, heat half the ghee and add the chicken. Don't crowd the pan, instead cook chicken in batches. Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each sideUse tongs to remove and keep aside.
- In the same pan, add the remaining ghee and the remaining masala. Fry the masala till it starts drying up and all the water evaporates. This takes about 6-8 minutes.
- The masala should turn a deep reddish maroon color and all the ghee should come to the top.
- Add the chicken pieces back to the pan along with salt and sugar and mix to ensure the masala fully coats the chicken. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with curry leaves and serve hot.
monika says
I tried this recipe. My entire family enjoyed it. very good recipe. I relished it very much.
Richa says
Thanks Monika!