Goan Chicken Cafreal
Cafreal is a spicy marinade for chicken consisting of cilantro, green chilies, and spices that is widely consumed in the Indian state of Goa. Cafreal was introduced to Indian cuisine from Portuguese colonists settling in Africa. Preparation is fairly simple. The chicken needs to marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to achieve maximum flavor. It is then sautéed, then let to stew for 25 minutes. The marinade will start to cling to the chicken. It is then finished off with a little bit of vinegar, bringing out more flavor to the chicken. You can even marinate a whole chicken in the marinade and roast in the oven.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 cup cilantro
- 2 green chilies
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 5 whole cloves
- 5 green cardamom seeds
Goan Chicken Cafreal
- 2 lbs bone in chicken thighs skinned; cut into 3-4 pieces
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken pieces in the ginger garlic paste for 30 minutes.
- Purée the marinade ingredients in a food processor or immersion blender. Add the marinade to the chicken. Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add in the chicken pieces along with all og the marinade. Sear on all sides for 8-10 minutes.
- Add a 1/4 cup of water. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 25 minutes. The marinade will reduce down and salt to cling to the chicken.
- Season with salt. Add in the vinegar and cook uncovered for 8 more minutes.
