Goan Chicken Cafreal Recipe (Galinha Cafreal)

chicken cafreal served with potato wedges, onion rings, and lemon wedges on a white plate.

5 from 1 vote

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main

Cuisine: Goan, Portuguese

Servings: people

Calories: 496kcal

Author: Preeti Nayak

Equipment

1 Mixing bowl
1 Heavy bottom pan

Ingredients

Marinate the chicken

2 Whole chicken legs

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 stick
4 cloves
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon vinegar (Substitute: lemon juice or tamarind)
½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Other ingredients

3 tablespoon oil
lemon wedges to garnish

Instructions

For Cafreal Masala

Make Cafreal Masala: Make a few gashes on the chicken legs. 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 tablespoon 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. If needed, add more oil.
Add 2 teaspoon 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.

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.
De-seed the green chilies if you prefer a less spicy cafreal.
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 leftover cafreal 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