Start the day before. The marinating alone is 4 hr, against 55 min of actual work.
Allergens in Chicken Cafreal: none of the ten listed below.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 800g, legs and thighs, skin off, slashed to the bone Chickenon the bone only, breast dries out
- 2 large bunches, stalks included Coriander Leavesthe stalks carry most of the flavour
- 8, roughly chopped Green Chilli
- 10 cloves Garlic
- 4cm piece Ginger
- 1.5 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1.5 tsp Black Pepper
- 6 Cloves
- 2cm stick Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 3 tbsp Vinegar
- 1, juiced Lemon
- 1 tsp Sugaroptional
- 2 medium, quartered Potatofried alongside, the standard accompanimentoptional
- 4 tbsp Neutral Oil
- to taste Salt
Cookware
stovetop, blender, kadhai
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Marinate the chicken at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Cafreal is a marinade dish. An hour gives you green chicken with plain meat underneath.
- Slash each piece to the bone in two or three places so the paste gets inside.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking so it cooks evenly.
Method
- Grind the coriander with stalks, green chillies, garlic, ginger, cumin, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and 1 tsp salt to a thick green paste. Use no water.Water dulls the colour and thins the marinade. The vinegar and lemon are enough liquid.
- Rub the paste hard into the slashed chicken, working it into the cuts. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
- Heat the oil in a heavy kadhai and lay in the chicken in a single layer, scraping the marinade back into the bowl.
- Fry 4 minutes a side over medium-high heat until the surface is seared and patchy brown.Sear first, marinade later. If you tip everything in together the paste burns before the chicken cooks.
- Add the reserved marinade and 4 tbsp water, cover, and cook on low for 20 minutes, turning the pieces twice.
- Meanwhile fry the quartered potatoes in a separate pan until gold and cooked through, about 12 minutes.
- Uncover, raise the heat and cook 5-6 minutes more until the sauce has reduced to a thick coating that clings to the chicken.Cafreal is a dry dish. If there is a pool of gravy in the pan, keep going.
- Check with a knife at the thickest part of the thigh. The juices should run clear. Squeeze over lemon and serve with the potatoes and pav.
Safe temperatures: Chicken and duck are done at 74°C / 165°F, taken at the thickest part and clear of the bone. Reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F. FoodSafety.gov
Storage
Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Reheat in a covered pan with 2 tbsp water over low heat; the microwave makes it stringy. The marinade freezes well for 2 months.
Nutrition Medium estimate
One serving of Chicken Cafreal (344 g) is about 460 calories, or 134 calories per 100 g.
High protein: 46 g a serving, 40% of the calories
| Per serving344 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 460 kcal | 134 kcal |
| Protein | 46.0 g | 13 g |
| Carbohydrate | 22.1 g | 6 g |
| of which sugars | 2.5 g | 1 g |
| Fibre | 3.1 g | 1 g |
| Fat | 20.4 g | 6 g |
| of which saturated | 3.1 g | 1 g |
| of which unsaturated | 15.4 g | 4 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · Goan recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.