Chicken Cafreal – Goan Style

Step 1: Toast Spices

Heat a dry pan on the stove. Add 1 small cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, 5-6 cloves, 1 tsp black peppercorns, and 1 tsp cumin seeds. Toast the spices on medium heat until they start to release their oils and become fragrant and lightly toasted. Remove from the pan.

Step 2: Grind Spices

Transfer the toasted spices to a blender. Grind them to a fine powder.

Step 3: Prepare Masala Paste

In the same blender, add 1 handful of fresh coriander, 5-6 deseeded green chilies, 6-7 garlic cloves, a 1-inch piece of ginger, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt, and all of the freshly ground Cafreal spice powder. Add 2-3 tbsp of water to aid blending.

Step 4: Blend Masala

Blend all the ingredients until a smooth, vibrant green paste is formed. Scrape down the sides as needed to ensure everything is well combined.

Step 5: Prepare Chicken for Marination

Take 4 full chicken legs (bone-in, skinless). Using a sharp knife, make 2 deep gashes on the front side and 1 gash on the back side of both the drumstick and thigh of each chicken leg. This allows the marinade to penetrate deeply into the meat.

Step 6: Marinate Chicken

Place the prepared chicken legs in a large bowl. Add all the Cafreal masala paste to the chicken. Using your hands (gloves recommended), thoroughly massage the marinade into the chicken, ensuring it coats every piece and gets into all the gashes. Cover the bowl and refrigerate to marinate overnight (24 hours) for the best flavor. If time is short, marinate for at least 2-3 hours. Remove the chicken from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature.

Step 7: Cook Chicken

Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in a large pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully place the marinated chicken legs into the pan. Sauté the chicken for a few minutes on each side to get some color and caramelization.

Step 8: Simmer and Finish Cooking

After browning, cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the chicken cook for about 15-20 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally to ensure even cooking and prevent sticking. The chicken is done when it's cooked through, the marinade has reduced and thickened, and there's a nice caramelization on the meat. You can cook it until the sauce is mostly dry or leave some liquid for a gravy, depending on your preference.

Step 9: Serve Chicken Cafreal

Carefully transfer the cooked Chicken Cafreal to a serving plate. Garnish with a wedge of fresh lime, sliced red onion, and fresh chopped coriander. Serve hot.

• For best flavor, marinate the chicken overnight (24 hours) in the refrigerator.

• Adjust the number of green chilies and whether you deseed them based on your preferred spice level. Deseeding reduces the heat.

• You can cook the chicken until the marinade is dry and caramelized, or leave some liquid in the pan to create a sauce.

• Adjust spice level by keeping or removing seeds from green chilies.

• Vary the consistency of the final dish by cooking until dry or leaving some sauce.