No festive occasion is complete without chicken cafreal on the menu along with the popular sorpotel, vindaloo’s/vindalho’s, xacuti and the likes. But who really needs an occasion to indulge in some chicken cafreal? I prepare it quite frequently, mostly for our Sunday meals, coz weekend meals are meant to be special, at least that is what I remember since my childhood. Pulao, biryani’s and rich curries were mostly reserved for Sunday’s!
Let’s talk about cafreal masala
In this dish, chicken is marinated with an uber-flavorful green spice paste known as cafreal masala. And here’s what goes into this spice paste;
Coriander (cilantro) leaves Green chillies Ginger and garlic Ground turmeric Whole spices like peppercorn, cinnamon, cloves, and cumin seeds Poppy seeds A sour ingredient which may vary from tamarind to lime juice to vinegar!
Chicken cafreal is fiery, rustic, a bit tangy, utterly aromatic and absolutely delicious all at once! Adjectives fall short to describe how fantastic this dish is! Some folks add a splash of rum when the chicken is almost done which actually adds a nice, festive finish to the dish! Served alongside some potato wedges/fries and salad, and you have a complete, wholesome meal!
Some easy tips to keep in mind before making this recipe
Chicken leg pieces are your best bet to make chicken cafreal, the meat is succulent, tender and just falls apart. So delicious! You may use breast pieces too. I’ve made a semi gravy version, allowing the marinade to almost dry up, coating the chicken with all that aromatic and flavorful deliciousness. You can have it in the form of curry too, adjust the liquid as required and enjoy it with some pulao or bread instead. Marinating the chicken in the cafreal paste overnight gives maximum flavor to the dish, so I highly recommend you do a little prep work in advance to thoroughly enjoy chicken cafreal! If you have any leftovers (highly unlikely :D) use them in sandwiches, wraps etc.
You may also enjoy these Goan dishes
Recheado masala stuffed squids Recheado masala chicken drumsticks Mussels rava fry
How to make authentic Goan chicken cafreal recipe – Step by step instructions
Step 1: Marinate the chicken
Pat dry the chicken (1.5 pounds), make some gashes on the chicken thighs. Rub it well with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste & 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside for 30 minutes. In the meanwhile prepare the cafreal masala.
Step 2: Cafreal masala
In a blender/grinder, add 1 cup coriander leaves with tender stems, 6-7 green chilies, 6-7 garlic cloves, 1.5 inch ginger root, 4 cloves, 8 peppercorns, 1-inch cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 teaspoons poppy seeds, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, and a small ball of tamarind. Grind to a smooth paste using water as required. I used a little more than 1/4 cup water.
Step 3: Marinate the chicken
Apply half of the prepared marinade to the chicken and let it marinate 2-3 hours or overnight preferably. Reserve the remaining marinade in the refrigerator.
Step 4: Cook
Before you cook the chicken, remove it out from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Heat butter and oil in a pan. Once it is hot, add the chicken pieces, cook until golden brown on both sides.
Then add the reserved marinade along with 1/2 cup water, cook covered on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. When the chicken is almost done, cook uncovered, till the gravy dries up a bit and the masala coats the chicken well.
Step 5: Serve
Once done, sprinkle lemon juice and serve hot along with some potato wedges, lime wedges, and salad.
★ If you try this Goan chicken cafreal recipe, I would love to hear from you! I’d appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review below in the comments. Your reviews help others know the recipe better too. Feel free to share your feedback and suggestions at [email protected]. Thanks so much 🙂 You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter
