Chicken Ghee Roast

(Printable Recipe)
Adapted from: Cherie's Stolen Recipes

Serves 4 - 5 You Need:

1 kg chicken 1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter) * see notes 2 tsp sugar a few curry leaves 2 tbsp chopped coriander

For the marinade

juice of 1 lime 1/2 cup thick curds (yogurt) 1 tsp turmeric powder salt to taste

For the masala

10 Kashmiri chillies * see notes 8 Kumti/Bedgi chillies 12 peppercorns (kali mirch) 1 tbsp coriander (dhania) 1/2 tsp cumin (jeera) 1/4 tsp fenugreek (methi) *see notes 12 garlic flakes with skin 1/2 tsp tamarind paste or 1 marble size tamarind soaked in 2 tbsp water

Method: 1. Cut the chicken into medium size pieces, wash & drain on a colander. Marinate it with the ingredients mentioned under 'For the marinade' and refrigerate for 4 hours or more (I marinated it for 1 hour) 2. Heat a tawa or non stick pan & dry roast the chillies, peppercorns, fenugreek, coriander & cumin seeds. Take care to see that the chillies don't burn otherwise they will let out a bitter taste. Using a little water grind all these ingredients along with the garlic & tamarind to a fine paste. Retain the masala water from the mixie. 3. Heat 1/4 cup of ghee in a wide thick bottomed pan and add the marinated chicken pieces and cook over an open flame till the pieces are almost cooked. Transfer the pieces to a vessel and the liquid (gravy) to another bowl. 4. In the same pan add the remaining ghee and fry the ground masala for 5-6 minutes or till the raw smell vanishes and the oil leaves the sides of the pan. 5. Add the fried chicken pieces 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid & salt to taste (remember that the marinade already had salt - so go easy on the salt). Cook on a medium high flame till the masala dries up. Add the sugar & mix. 6. Garnish with curry leaves & chopped coriander leaves & turn off the flame 7. Serve hot as an appetizer or as a side dish with rice