• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Contact Us

Tiffin And Tea logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Contact Us
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Recipes
    • Contact Us
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    23rd February 2021 Dinner

    Home » Recipes

    Chicken Ghee Roast

    Sharing is caring!

    27 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Chicken Ghee Roast is a popular recipe from Mangalore, India. Made by toasting and grinding whole spices and combining with Chicken cooked in Ghee. This is a deliciously warming, rich and aromatic recipe. For a version made with Prawns, click here.

    Chicken Ghee Roast in a black pan, topped with coriander

    What is Chicken Ghee Roast?

    It is a dry Chicken Curry where either Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs/Breast or Bone in Drumstick/Thighs are coated in a masala paste known as ghee roast masala. This masala is made with curry leaves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, ginger and garlic. This is then combined with Tamarind and Gaur (Jaggery) or Light Brown Sugar.

    I have used bone in Chicken thighs/drumsticks and for this reason, I marinaded them first. 

    The ghee roast masala can also be used with lamb, prawns or paneer.

    Ingredients used in Chicken Ghee Roast 

    Chicken - You can use boneless thighs or breast or bone in. Cooking times will vary. For a quick version, use chicken breast.
     
    Curry leaves  - I know I am a little obsessive about this, but there is no substitute for fresh curry leaves.
     
    Chillies - Kashmiri Chillies and Byadagi Chilli .However the latter is difficult to come by where i live so I used extra dry red chillies.  Alternatively use ground Kashmiri and Red Chilli Powder. Kashmiri Chilli Powder is used for colour. The heat comes from Red Chilli Powder/Flakes or if you can find it, the Byadagi Chilli.
     
    Tamarind and Gaur - These complement each other because one is sweet whilst the other is sour.
     
    Yoghurt Marinade - Ground Spices and Yoghurt are combined to create a marinade for the Chicken in this version of the recipe.
     
    Whole Spices - Fennel Seeds, Cinnamon, Fenugreek Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Cloves, Peppercorns. 
     
    Ghee - I prefer to use home made but nowadays the Ghee available on the market is quite good.
     
    Onion - Use white or red diced onion.
     
    Garlic and Ginger  - There is a lot of Garlic in this recipe. If you prefer you can reduce the quantity.
     
    Salt 
     
    Coriander Leaves - To garnish
     

    Ghee Roast Masala

    This is the main bit of the recipe:
     
    Whole chillies are roasted in a dry pan for 2 minutes. Preferably Kashmiri and Byadagi but if you can't find them, use dry Red Chillies from a South Asian Supermarket. If you cannot find those either, skip this step and add additional ground Red Chilli Powder later on when the ghee roast masala is added to the pan.
     
    Remove the Chillies and add Coriander Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Cinnamon, Cumin Seeds, Cloves, Black Peppercorns and Fennel Seeds. Dry fry for 1 minute, then remove from the pan.
     
    Add Curry leaves and dry fry till fragrant.
     
    Grind the whole spices to a paste with Salt, Garlic and Ginger and a little water if needed.

    How to make Chicken Ghee Roast

    Marinade Chicken in Yoghurt, Garlic, Ginger, ground Spices and Lemon Juice.

    Chicken marinading in Yoghurt and ground Spices

    Heat Ghee in a pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add some Garlic and cook till very lightly golden before adding the Curry Leaves. Once fragrant, add Onions.
    Garlic added to oil in pot
     
    Curry leaves added to oil and ghee in pot
     
    Once they are translucent, add the Ghee Roast Masala. 
    Ghee roast masala added to pot
     
    Stir in Tamarind and Gaur/Jaggery or Light Brown Sugar.
    Tamarind being added to pan
     
    Add the Chicken.
    Chicken and masala in pot

    Season and cook the Chicken, covered over low heat till cooked through.

    Remove lid and cook on high to dry out the Masala paste.

    Squeeze over Lemon Juice and garnish with Coriander. 

    How to serve Chicken Ghee Roast

    If you use skinless and boneless chicken, it can be served as a starter as it usually would be with Appam or Neer Dosa (Water Dosa made with Rice). If like me, you are unlikely to make these or they are not available to buy near you, you can also serve this recipe with Roti, Naan or Rice.

    Tips and FAQ's for this recipe

    • If you cannot find dry Red Chillies, use Red Chilli Powder and add it in with the Ghee Roast Masala later on.
    • For this recipe, Fresh Curry leaves are a must.
    • For best results (especially if using bone in meat), marinade the Chicken for 2 hours or overnight in the Ghee Roast Masala.

    How to make ahead

    Fridge - This recipe can be made up to a day ahead.
     
    Freezer - You can also make the ghee roast masala in a large batch or single portions and freeze in ice cube trays to use as and when you like. It keeps well for up to 2 months. 
     
    The cooked recipe can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. 

    more recipes you may love:

    Chicken Hyderabadi
    Tawa Chicken
    Chicken Makhani
    Chicken Chaap

    **if you make something from  tiffin and tea, i would love to see your creations! don’t forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment below! we love to hear from you. safira x

    Chicken Ghee Roast in a black bowl
    5 from 1 vote
    Print

    Chicken Ghee Roast 

    Chicken Ghee Roast is a popular recipe from Mangalore, India. Made by toasting and grinding whole spices and combining with Chicken cooked in Ghee. This is a deliciously warming, rich and aromatic recipe

    Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Starters
    Cuisine Indian, Mangalore
    Keyword Chicken Ghee roast, Prawn Ghee Roast
    Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
    Marinade 30 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
    Servings 6
    Calories 615 kcal
    Author Safira

    Ingredients

    Marinade

    • 8 Chicken Thighs/Legs
    • 120 g Plain Yoghurt
    • ½ tsp Garlic Paste
    • ½ tsp Ginger Paste
    • 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
    • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
    • 1 ½ tsp Coriander Powder
    • 1 tsp Cumin Powder
    • ½ tsp Black Pepper Powder
    • 2 tbsp Lemon Juice

    Ghee Roast Masala

    • 6 Dry Red Chillies
    • 2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
    • ⅛ tsp Fenugreek Seeds
    • 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
    • 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
    • 4 Cloves
    • ½ tsp Black Peppercorns
    • 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
    • 10 Curry Leaves
    • 12 Garlic Cloves Crushed
    • 1 inch Ginger Crushed (Optional)
    • 1 ½ tsp Salt

    To finish

    • 6 tbsp Ghee
    • 2 Garlic Cloves finely sliced
    • 1 Onion diced
    • 10 Curry Leaves
    • 2 tbsp Tamarind Paste
    • 2 tsp Light Brown Sugar or Jaggery
    • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice

    Instructions

    Marinade

    1. Marinade Chicken in Yoghurt, Garlic, Ginger, Red Chiilli Powder, Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Black Pepper Powder and Lemon Juice. Set aside for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

    Ghee Roast Masala

    1. Dry roast chillies in a pan for 2 minutes. Remove the Chillies and add Coriander Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Cinnamon, Cumin Seeds, Cloves, Black Peppercorns and Fennel Seeds. Dry fry for 1 minute, then remove from the pan. Add Curry leaves and dry fry till fragrant. Grind the whole spices to a paste with Garlic, Ginger and Salt and a little water if needed.

    To finish

    1. Heat Ghee in a pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add Garlic and cook till very lightly golden before adding the Onions. 

    2. Add Curry Leaves and Onion. Once they are translucent, add the Ghee Roast Masala.  Cook for 2 minutes.

    3. Stir in Tamarind and Gaur/Jaggery or Light Brown Sugar. 

    4. Add the Chicken. Season and cook the Chicken, covered over low heat till cooked through. 45 - 50 minutes.

    5. Remove lid and cook on high to dry out the Masala paste.

    6. Squeeze over Lemon Juice and garnish with Coriander.   

    Recipe Notes

    How to serve Chicken Ghee Roast

    If you use skinless and boneless chicken, it can be served as a starter as it usually would be with Appam or Neer Dosa (Water Dosa made with Rice). If like me, you are unlikely to make these or they are not available to buy near you, you can also serve this recipe with Roti, Naan or Rice.

    Tips and FAQ's for this recipe

    • If you cannot find dry Red Chillies, use Red Chilli Powder and add it in with the Ghee Roast Masala later on.
    • For this recipe, Fresh Curry leaves are a must.
    • For best results (especially if using bone in meat), marinade the Chicken for 2 hours or overnight in the Ghee Roast Masala.

    How to make ahead

    Fridge - This recipe can be made up to a day ahead.
     
    Freezer - You can also make the ghee roast masala in a large batch or single portions and freeze in ice cube trays to use as and when you like. It keeps well for up to 2 months. 
     
    The cooked recipe can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. 
    Nutrition Facts
    Chicken Ghee Roast 
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 615 Calories from Fat 432
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 48g74%
    Saturated Fat 18g113%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Cholesterol 230mg77%
    Sodium 746mg32%
    Potassium 591mg17%
    Carbohydrates 12g4%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 5g6%
    Protein 34g68%
    Vitamin A 315IU6%
    Vitamin C 74mg90%
    Calcium 109mg11%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Share this:

    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
    • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on stumbleupon (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on yummy (Opens in new window)

    Related

    More Recipes

    • Rigatoni Al Forno with Béchamel Sauce
    • Korean Egg Drop Sandwich with Beef Bulgogi
    • Lemon Syrup Loaf Cake
    • Chicken Naanwich

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Cake with rose petals scattered around

    hey...I’m safira! I share accessible Global Recipes as well as Baking recipes for home cooks. One of my passions is to teach home cooks to become more confident in the kitchen and this comes with time and experience.

    More about me →

    Recipes

    DON'T MISS ANY RECIPES

    Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Featured Recipes

    • The BEST Homemade Dark Chocolate Brownies
    • No bake Milk Chocolate Cheesecake with Oreo Crust 
    • Easy Freezer Friendly Mini Pizzas
    • Caramelised Brown Sugar Carrots

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Blog

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Tiffin and Tea

    27 shares