Kundapur chicken ghee roast
Named after the town of Kundapur, in Karnataka in southwest India, this chicken dish is often served with quite a lot of sauce, but chef Sriram Aylur treats it more like a kebab. It offers the same flavour profile of coconut, coriander, fennel and fenugreek but uses the masala as a marinade rather than the base of a sauce. Fiery, sweet, rich and deeply spiced, it’s an incredible combination of flavours and any leftover spice mix works wonders with pretty much any meat, fish or veg.
Note: To make your own ginger and garlic paste, blend equal parts garlic and chopped ginger with a little vegetable oil and a small pinch of salt in a small food processor or blender, until you’ve achieved a loose paste consistency. Store in a clean jar under oil in the fridge or freeze in an ice-cube tray (transfer to a freezer bag or container once frozen).
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
CHICKEN
- 500g of chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 25g of ginger and garlic paste, (see note)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- pea shoots, to garnish (optional)
SPICE MIX
- 15 byadgi chillies, dried (you could use dried kashmiri chillies as a substitute)
- 25g of coriander seeds
- 15g of fennel seeds
- 7.5g of fenugreek seeds
- 15g of black peppercorns
- 15g of cumin seeds
- 9 garlic cloves
MASALA
- 12 cashew nuts
- 50g of ghee, plus extra for searing the chicken
- 100g of onion, chopped
- 10g of ginger and garlic paste, (see note)
- 50g of tomatoes, chopped
- 5g of ground turmeric
- 5g of jaggery, (you could use muscovado or panela sugar as as substitute)
- 5g of tamarind paste
- 3 curry leaves, finely chopped
- 25g of toasted coconut flakes
Equipment
- Large flat griddle pan
Method
Put the chicken in a bowl and add the turmeric, ginger and garlic paste, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Mix to combine then set aside to marinate for 30 minutes
- 500g of chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 25g of ginger and garlic paste, (see note)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
For the spice mix, toast all the ingredients in a dry pan until aromatic. Transfer to a small food processor or spice grinder and blitz into a fine paste. Weigh out 30g and set aside (store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge). Clean the pan and return it to the heat
- 15 byadgi chillies, dried (you could use dried kashmiri chillies as a substitute)
- 25g of coriander seeds
- 15g of fennel seeds
- 7.5g of fenugreek seeds
- 15g of black peppercorns
- 15g of cumin seeds
- 9 garlic cloves
For the masala, toast the cashew nuts in the pan until lightly golden, then remove and crush in a pestle and mortar (or finely chop). Set aside
- 12 cashew nuts
Meanwhile, heat the ghee in a small saucepan. Once hot, add the onion, ginger and garlic paste, tomato and a pinch of salt. Cook for a few minutes, then add the turmeric and the 30g of spice mix
- 50g of ghee, plus extra for searing the chicken
- 100g of onion, chopped
- 10g of ginger and garlic paste, (see note)
- 50g of tomatoes, chopped
- 5g of ground turmeric
Cook until the oil separates, then add the jaggery and tamarind. Stir and cook for a few minutes, then spread out the mixture onto a plate and allow to cool completely
- 5g of jaggery, (you could use muscovado or panela sugar as as substitute)
- 5g of tamarind paste
Preheat the oven to 200°C
Once cool, combine the masala with the curry leaves, coconut flakes and crushed cashew nuts, then pour it over the marinated chicken. Stir to evenly coat
- 3 curry leaves, finely chopped
- 25g of toasted coconut flakes
Preheat a large flat griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add a little ghee, followed by the coated chicken and cook until seared all over, then transfer to the oven and roast for 7 minutes, or until cooked through
Serve the Kundapur chicken on plates garnished with pea shoots (if you like)
- pea shoots, to garnish (optional)
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