Goan Chicken Cafreal
A vibrant Goan chicken curry made with fresh herbs, warming spices and tangy vinegar. This authentic Chicken Cafreal is fragrant, spicy and incredibly easy to make at home.
Servings: 6
Calories: 388kcal
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 medium red onions chopped
- 2 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp hot chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 cups cilantro leaves & stalks
- ½ cup mint leaves
- 6 hot green chillies chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ lemon juice of
Other
- 4 chicken marylands (leg & thigh) skin off, cut into thigh/leg pieces. Make deep slashes in the flesh.
- 6 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp coconut vinegar or white wine/apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup coconut oil or vegetable/sunflower
Instructions
- In a blender, blend the marinade ingredients with 1-2 tbsp water until semi smooth.
- Add the cloves, cinnamon stick and vinegar.
- Coat the chicken pieces and marinate for 4+ hours (24 is best)
- Heat the oil in a pan until hot, then tip everything into the pan. Let it sizzle for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn down the heat to low and cook for another 40 minutes with the lid on until cooked through. Remove the lid for the last 10 minutes to form a thick, glossy masala.
Oven method
- Preheat oven to 180ºc/350ºF
- Tip the chicken and marinade, plus the oil into a cast-iron pot or oven-proof pot (with a lid) and bring to a simmer on the stove-top. Remove from the heat and cook in the oven for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, for the deepest flavour.
- Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks are traditional and stay wonderfully juicy, but boneless thighs also work well.
- Adjust the heat by choosing milder or hotter green chillies and varying the amount of chilli powder.
- Coconut toddy vinegar is the authentic choice, but apple cider or white wine vinegar make excellent substitutes.
- For oven cooking, bake in a covered oven-proof pot at 180°C (350°F) for 1 hour, stirring once or twice during cooking.
- Fresh cilantro is traditional, but adding a handful of mint creates an even brighter, fresher flavour.
- The sauce will thicken as it cooks. If it becomes too thick, stir in a splash of water.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day and keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight and reheat gently with a splash of water if needed.
- Serve with Goan poi, soft pav rolls, naan, roti or fluffy basmati rice, plus a squeeze of fresh lime.
Nutrition
Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 619mg | Potassium: 345mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 634IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg