Kerala style Chicken Roast

It's not a secret that I love food from Kerala. My kitchen is bursting with all kinds of ingredients and equipment needed to cook dishes from this region. Every now and then Appams, Idiyappams, Mutta curry, Chicken roast, Kadala curry grace our dinner table and make us all happy. After a soul satisfying meal of Shukto, posto, macher jhol my next best comforting meal would be rice, sambhar, Rasam, thoran, fish fry and papad. Like a true Keralite food lover, I love my dishes hot and spicy laced with the tongue tickling aroma of curry leaves.

Today am sharing a chicken roast recipe very own to Kerala. Dont get fooled by the word roast, they have nothing to do with Ovens of any kind. The roast recipes belonging to Kerala refers to a kind of stove top cooking where the sauce is cooked off till the spices clings to the meat or seafood and makes a finger licking experience. All you need is a pan and some basic pantry staples to make this absolutely killer chicken recipe. If cooked with boneless chicken pieces the dish gets made in no time. 

Pair this with any kind of Pulao, prefereably something with some southern flavours like tomato rice, tamarind rice, lemon rice etc. The day I made it I prepared lemon rice. The tanginess of the rice pairs perfectly with the spicy chicken.

Kerala being the state of all exotic spice farming it's always good to freshly grind your garam masala and pepper if you are cooking recipes from there. I did it for that kick of spices that I always have experienced during my meals in Kerala.

Kerala chicken Roast

(for 2)

(Recipe from HERE)

Ingredients:

Chicken: 300 gms Boneless pieces

Onion: 2 medium purple variety

Ginger garlic paste : 1 tsp (equal ginger garlic)

Coriander powder: 1/3 tsp

Chili powder: 1/2 tsp (use more if you like)

Tomato: 1 small

Green chillies: 1 or 2

Curry Leaves: 2 springs

Oil: 3-4 tbsp

Garam masala

cinnamon: 1/2"

Green cardamom: 1 small

Cloves: 2-3

Pepper: 1/2 tsp

Marinade:

Lemon juice: 1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste: 1/2 tsp

chili powder

salt

Method:

Cut the chicken breast in 1" cubes. Marinate with the spices mentioned under marinade. Keep aside.

In the meantime finely chop the onion and grind the spices under garam masala keep aside.

Heat the oil and place the chicken pieces in it. Cook on medium till they are browned on all sides. This helps sealing the chicken and keep it juicy and moist (5-6 minutes).

Remove the chicken pieces and in the same oil add your curry leaves when they start to splutter add the sliced onion and slitted green chillies. Sprinkle salt and cook till they turn brown (3-4 minutes) Next add the ginger garlic paste and cook till oil separates at the sides. Sprinkle the coriander powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder and saute till the raw smell is gone.

Chop the tomato and add to the spices in the pan, cover and cook till mushy. Mix everything together and add the chicken pieces. Cook on medium till its coated with the spices. Add 1/4 cup water and cover, reduce the flame for it to absorb all the flavours. Once oil starts to separate again sprinkle the garam masala and mix. it should be fairly dry like that in picture.

Serve hot with any kind of rice of your choice.