Description
Chicken Ghee Roast is a classic South Indian delicacy known for its rich and aromatic blend of roasted spices, byadagi chillies, and ghee. This recipe features tender boneless chicken thighs marinated in a spiced paste and slow-cooked in generous ghee, curry leaves, and onions to create a deeply flavorful dry curry with a perfect balance of heat, tang, and sweetness from jaggery. Ideal to serve alongside rice, roti, or neer dosa, this dish offers a hearty, authentic taste of Karnataka cuisine.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2.5 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Spice Masala
- 16 byadagi chillies
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds (dhania)
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 2 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 cup water (for grinding paste)
Marinade and Cooking
- ⅓ cup yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp salt (for marinade)
- 1 tbsp ghee (for marinade)
- ½ cup ghee (for cooking)
- 20 curry leaves (cadipatta)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- ½ tsp salt (for sautéing onion)
- 1-2 tbsp jaggery powder
Instructions
- Roasting the Spices: In a wide bottomed pan, dry roast the whole byadagi chillies over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes until well roasted, then set aside. Using the same pan, roast coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds for another 3-5 minutes on medium-low flame until aromatic and toasted.
- Grinding the Masala: Place the roasted byadagi chillies into a mixer and pulse briefly to crush them. Add the roasted whole spices, chopped ginger, chopped garlic, and water. Grind everything into a smooth paste to create the flavorful masala base.
- Marinating the Chicken: In a large bowl, combine the bite-sized chicken pieces with the freshly ground masala, yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 tablespoon of ghee. Mix well to coat all pieces evenly and refrigerate to marinate for at least 4 to 6 hours, allowing the flavors to deeply infuse.
- Preparing the Ghee Roast Chicken: Heat ½ cup ghee in a wide bottomed pan over medium flame. Add curry leaves and roast lightly for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Add chopped onions along with ½ teaspoon salt and sauté on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until the onions turn translucent but not browned.
- Cooking the Chicken: Add the marinated chicken mixture to the pan and stir to combine. Cook over medium flame, stirring intermittently, for about 30 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Around the halfway point or when the chicken is almost done, incorporate the jaggery powder and mix well. Continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked and the curry has reduced to a semi-dry consistency with ghee starting to separate at the edges.
- Serving: Serve the Chicken Ghee Roast hot with plain rice, roti, or neer dosa for an authentic South Indian meal experience.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for at least 4-6 hours, preferably overnight, for the best flavor infusion.
- Be careful not to brown the onions; the translucent, soft texture is ideal for this recipe.
- Adjust the jaggery quantity based on your preferred level of sweetness balancing the spiciness.
- Use byadagi chillies for authentic flavor and color; substitute with dried Kashmiri chillies if unavailable.
- Ghee is essential for the rich flavor and aroma characteristic of this dish; do not substitute with oil.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: South Indian
