Chicken Cafreal recipe with step by step photos and a video recipe. Chicken Cafreal (Galinha Cafreal) is a popular chicken dish from Goa, India. The Portuguese introduced it to the Goan cuisine. The chicken is flavored with herbs and spices and pan-fried or grilled. Serve it with potato wedges and lemon wedges, or bread.
Similar to Chicken Xacuti, Cafreal is also prepared as Sunday special dinner/lunch and on festive occasions in Goan households. The aroma and flavor of Cafreal masala are so amazing that you will love this recipe.
What is Chicken Cafreal?
Chicken Cafreal is a delicious and flavorful dry or semi-dry chicken curry from Goa, India. This Goan-style chicken cafreal is also known as Galinha Cafreal in Portuguese. "Galinha" means "chicken" in the Portuguese language.
Goan Chicken Cafreal is a super easy-to-prepare. Juicy chicken is marinated in a simple yet incredibly flavorful homemade cafreal masala, a vibrant green blend of spices, chilies, and fresh herbs. Pan-fried or grilled to perfection, it's a popular Goan appetizer in restaurants and shacks in Goa. It is traditionally served with potato wedges and lemon wedges. You can also serve it with Bread or Pav.
What's in Cafreal Masala?
Cafreal masala bursts with fresh flavors and amazing aroma. It is made with all-natural ingredients, fresh coriander leaves, green chilies, ginger, garlic, and lemon juice and spiced with cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, and cumin. Cafreal masala comes together in just 5 minutes – perfect for a quick and delicious weeknight meal.
For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken - Authentic Chicken Cafreal is prepared with whole chicken legs. However, you can also make it with whole chicken (curry cut) or chicken thighs.
- Lemon juice - You can substitute it with white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or tamarind. Traditionally, Goan vinegar (or toddy vinegar) is used to make this dish.
- Fresh Coriander leaves - It gives fresh flavor and green color to the dish. Do not substitute it with parsley or any other herbs.
- Ginger and Garlic - I used fresh ginger and garlic. You can also use store-bought ginger and garlic paste.
- Green Chilies - It is going to spice up the dish. The spiciness of green chilies differs. Add it as per your taste. You can deseed the green chilies to reduce their spiciness.
- Whole spices - Cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, and cumin.
- Powdered spices - Salt and turmeric powder.
- Oil - I have used sunflower oil for this recipe. You can use any neutral flavored oil that has a high smoke point.
How to make Chicken Cafreal (with Stepwise Photos)
Preparations
- Make a few gashes on the chicken. Marinate the chicken with salt and lemon juice. Keep it aside.
- Make Cafreal Masala - Grind the ingredients mentioned under cafreal masala to a fine paste. Do not add more water to grind. We need a thick paste. Keep it aside.
- Next, add this cafreal masala to the marinated chicken. Coat the chicken well with the masala. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
Making Chicken Cafreal
- After 2 hours, take out the marinated chicken from the refrigerator. Keep it on the kitchen counter until it comes to room temperature.
- Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat.
- Take out the marinated chicken and place it on the heated pan. Keep the remaining marinade in the bowl.
- Pan-sear the chicken until golden on both sides. The chicken need not be cooked at this stage.
- Now, add 2 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked. Stir it in between as required.
- Once the chicken is cooked, open the lid and cook it uncovered for 5 minutes or until the excess moisture dries up.
- Chicken cafreal is ready. It is served traditionally with roasted potato wedges and lemon wedges. You can also serve it with bread or pav.
Roasted Potatoes recipe (optional)
- Boil potatoes for 2 whistles. Peel and cut into wedges. Heat 2-3 teaspoon of oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add potato wedges to the heated pan. Sprinkle salt & pepper to taste. Cook until golden on both sides.
Tips to make Best Chicken Cafreal
- Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours or overnight. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator. Marinating the chicken makes it tender, juicy, and flavorful. The chicken absorbs all the flavors of the marinade. Do not skip this step.
- Deseed the green chilies, if you prefer a less spicy dish.
- Be careful while adding water while making the cafreal masala. Add less water to make a thick paste so that you can coat the chicken well with it.
- This is a semi-dry or dry chicken dish. Do not add more water at any stage of cooking.
What to serve with Galinha Cafreal?
- Traditionally, it is served with potato wedges and lemon wedges.
- You can serve it with Bread or Pav or Pulao/Pilaf.
- Or pair it with your favorite salad.
You may also like these other popular non-vegetarian recipes from this website
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Chicken Cafreal Recipe (Galinha Cafreal)
Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Heavy bottom pan
Ingredients
Marinate the chicken
- 2 Whole chicken legs
- salt
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice or Goan vinegar
Make Cafreal Masala
- 2 cup coriander leaves with stems
- 4-5 green chilies add as per taste
- 8-10 garlic cloves
- 1- inch ginger
- 1- inch cinnamon
- 4 cloves
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Other ingredients
- 3 tablespoon oil
- lemon wedges to garnish
- roasted potato wedges optional, for serving
Instructions
- Make a few gashes on the chicken. Marinate the chicken with salt and lemon juice. Keep it aside.
- Make Cafreal Masala - Grind the ingredients mentioned under Cafreal masala to a fine paste. Do not add more water to grind. We need a thick paste. Keep it aside.
- Next, add this Cafreal masala to the marinated chicken. Coat the chicken well with the masala. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
Making Chicken Cafreal
- After 2 hours, take out the marinated chicken from the refrigerator. Keep it on kitchen counter until it comes to room temperature.
- Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat.
- Take out the marinated chicken and place it on the heated pan. Keep the remaining marinade in the bowl.
- Pan-sear the chicken until golden on both sides. The chicken need not to be cooked at this stage.
- Add 2 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Pour the remaining marinade over chicken.
- Cover and cook on medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked. Stir it in between as required.
- Once the chicken is cooked, open the lid and cook it uncovered for 5 minutes or until the excess moisture dries up.
- Chicken cafreal is ready. It is served traditionally with roasted potato wedges and lemon wedges. You can also serve it with bread or pav.
- To make roasted potatoes - Boil potatoes for 2 whistles. Peel and cut into wedges. Heat 2 -3 teaspoon of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add potato wedges to the heated pan. Sprinkle salt & pepper to taste. Cook until golden on both sides.
Video
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours or overnight. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator. Marinating the chicken makes it tender, juicy, and flavorful. The chicken absorbs all the flavors of the marinade. Do not skip this step.
- Deseed the green chilies, if you prefer a less spicy dish.
- Be careful while adding water while making the cafreal masala. Add less water to make a thick paste so that you can coat the chicken well with it.
- This is a semi-dry or dry chicken dish. Do not add more water at any stage of cooking.
- Storage Suggestion
- Store the leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.
- Let the chicken come to room temperature. Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. Stays good for 2 days. Sprinkle some water over it, reheat on low heat until piping hot, and serve.
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