In November of eighth grade my parents whisked me off to India for a 2 1/2  month adventure. We landed in Mumbai in the middle of the night, gathered our luggage and took an overnight train to Vadodara – my birth city. After a brief reunion with both my paternal and maternal grandparents, aunts/uncles/cousins and extended family – we left for a tour of North India.

We visited Agra and the Taj Mahal, Delhi and the Lal Qila (or Red Fort), and continued as far north as Mussoorie, a hill station in the foothills of the Himalayas. Highlights included seeing the Taj Mahal and other historic sites in person,  eating red carrots with lime juice, salt and red chili from street vendors and meeting the Prime Minister of India – Indira Gandhi. She was most gracious and made sure that my brother and I had a picture with her.

After a brief return to homebase for my Uncle’s wedding, we continued onto the second part of our adventures. Renting a Matador (India’s version of a mini-van) we travelled with my father’s parents and sister. Yes – we drove from Vadodara , along the western coast to the very tip of India – KanyaKumari and then back up the Eastern Coast to Bangalore.

The trip was exotic, spiritual, educational …. and absolutely memorable.

A highlight of the trip: Goa on India’s west coast. By this time in the trip, I was getting pretty homesick – it was Christmas and I missed the familiar sights and sounds of the holiday. Fortunately, we arrived in Goa right on Christmas Day! Originally a Portuguese colony, Goa, and its major city Old Goa, still showed influences from its’ Christian heyday. As we drove through town we saw lights, paper lanterns, wood stars and decorated casuarina trees. Not quite the Christmas I was used to – but believe me it was close enough!

Fast forward to now – DH and I recently held our first dinner party after the kitchen renovation. I wanted to make something new. While researching recipes I came across a Goan dish called Chicken Cafreal (or Galinha Cafreal). A dish served mainly at festivals and special occasions, it has elements of Indian, Portuguese and Mozambique cooking – with influences from peri-peri sauce. It seemed perfect for my menu – so I set to making the recipe my own.

The base of the dish is comprised of  coriander, onions, garlic, roasted spices, lemon juice and sugar-cane vinegar. Unable to find the sugar-cane vinegar, I added tamarind paste instead – it ended up a good substitute and even added a touch of sour to the dish. Additionally the dish is usually made with a cut-up whole chicken, but I have had great success with bone-in thighs. Oftentimes the dish is finished off with a splash of rum – adding to its exotic profile.

Serve the chicken over a bed of fried potato wedges garnished with raw onion, lemon and chili slices and chopped cilantro. You cad add the portuguese influenced bread pav (or pao) to soak up extra sauce. Note – I baked my potatoes to make a healthier meal.

 

Chicken Cafreal

Yield 4

Ingredients
For Paste (Marinade):

1/4 tsp. green cardamom seeds
10 cloves
10 peppercorns
1 inch cinnamon bark
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 cups fresh coriander (stems and leaves)
4 cloves garlic
1 inch piece of ginger
2-3 green chilies

1 lb bone-in chicken thighs (about 4)
1 small onion (about 4-5 ounces), chopped finely
3 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. tamarind paste

For Potatoes:

1 lb yukon gold potatoes, sliced into 1/8″ inch thick wedges or slices
olive oil to drizzle
salt and pepper to taste

For Garnish:

1/2 onion – thinly sliced
2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
4-5 green chillies, either left whole or thinly sliced
1-2 lemons, wedged
Several splashes of rum

Method

1. Cut 2-3 slits into the chicken pieces – making sure not to cut all the way through the meat.
2. Sprinkle the meat with salt and juice of 1/2 lemon. Rub into meat.
3. To prepare marinade begin by heating a pan over medium heat. Add whole spices and roast until seeds turn slightly darker and you can smell the spices.
4. Add roasted spices to a blender and blend till powdered.
5. Add ginger, garlic, coriander, green chili and lemon juice to the blender and blend until a paste forms. You may need to add a bit of water to loosen it up – but try to minimize the amount.
6. Reserve 2 tbsp. of marinade and set aside. Add the rest to the chicken. Rub in thoroughly, cover and set aside for at least 1-2 hours or better yet overnight.
7. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Put potato wedges/slices into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Make sure each piece is covered with oil and seasonings.
8. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange potatoes on parchment paper in a single layer.
9. Bake potatoes in oven until brown and cooked through – about 30 mins.
10. While the potatoes are baking, start chicken. Heat cast iron skillet ( or any heavy frying pan) on medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 tbsp. oil.
11. When oil is hot, add chicken to pan in a single layer. Cook until browned on one side (about 4 minutes) then flip and cook till browned on second side.
12. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
13. Heat a new pan over medium-high heat (I  like to use a sauté pan, but any frying pan or skillet will work), and add 1 tbsp. oil.
14. Once hot, add chopped onions and sauté until golden.
15. Add reserved marinade, tamarind paste, 1 cup water and salt to taste. Mix well and bring to a simmer
16. Add chicken to pan with juices, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until chicken is cooked through.
17. Splash with rum, and squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon over chicken
18. To plate – place cooked potatoes on a serving platter and serve chicken on top. Garnish with lemon wedges, thinly sliced raw onions, chili slices and cilantro.
19. Serve warm with buttered pav.

Notes – feel free to use only one pan to both sear the chicken and finish the dish. I use two (despite the extra clean-up) because I feel I get a better sear on the chicken. But either way will work.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Shruti