Chicken cafreal is an authentic Goan dish which is a flavour bomb. It is one of the most ordered dishes in the restaurants in Goa. Check out the pretty simple recipe of chicken cafreal.
Ingredients
2 chicken drumsticks
A gooseberry sized ball of tamarind
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp cumin
½ tsp fresh coriander
1 tsp poppy seeds (optional)
2 tsp pepper corns
2 cinnamon sticks
12 cloves
1 big bay leaf
1 large piece ginger
8 cloves garlic
1 cup coriander leaves (10 sprigs)
5 green chillies
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp butter/ oil
¼ cup water
Preparation
Soak the tamarind for 10 minutes and extract juice
Marinate the chicken pieces with salt, turmeric powder, lemon juice and tamarind extract
Meanwhile, dry roast cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, coriander seeds, cumin, pepper corns and poppy seeds
Into a mixer jar add the coriander leaves, green chillies, vinegar, ginger, garlic, roasted spice mix and the remaining tamarind extract as well
Blend well into smooth paste
Marinate the chicken drumsticks with this marinade
Keep them aside for at least 2 hours
Mix the remaining marinade paste with some water and pour it over the chicken drumsticks
Cook for 15 minutes with the lid on or until the water reduces completely
Another method is to cook the chicken in a frying pan for 7 minutes on medium flame
Cook the chicken pieces on both sides
When the water has reduced and the chicken has cooked, fry for 5 more minutes without the lid
This would make the outsides crunchier while the insides remain juicy and succulent.