Goan Chicken Cafreal Recipe (Galinha Cafreal)
Chicken Cafreal (Galinha Cafreal) is a classic chicken dish from Goa, India, with roots in Portuguese cuisine. This Goan chicken curry recipe is made with succulent chicken marinated in homemade aromatic cafreal masala, pan-fried, or grilled. Traditionally served with potato wedges, lemon wedges, or bread, learn to prepare this flavorful dish from Goan cuisine with step-by-step photos and a video tutorial.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 496kcal
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.
For Cafreal Masala
- 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.
Marinate the Chicken
- 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.
- Goan cafreal chicken curry is ready. Galinha Cafreal 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 in a pressure cooker. You can par-boil the potatoes in a saucepan too. 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 765mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin C: 679mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 5mg