Chicken Fry
Chicken is marinated in dry roasted spices & cooked on a low heat till the pieces are flavorful, juicy & slightly crispy outside. Simple. Spicy. Succulent.
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts See Recipe Notes
- 2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil plus more if needed
- 3 tablespoon chunky coconut pieces ; divided
- Juice of ½ lemon optional
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 2-3 Garlic cloves big
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper powder or to taste
- 1 Onion medium, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- 10-12 Curry Leaves
Spices for dry roasting and marination
- 2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper adjust to taste; see recipe Notes
- 2 heaped teaspoon Paprika powder
- 3 heaped teaspoon Coriander powder/Ground Coriander
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder/Ground Turmeric
Garnish
- Onion Rings
Required Equipment
- Large Saute Pan with lid
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Chopping boards and knives
- Measuring spoons.
- Small Pan
- Mortar and Pestle
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat a saute pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Lower the heat and dry roast all the spices listed under "Spices for dry roasting and marination" - Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Coriander Powder, and Turmeric powder, for about 3 to 5 minutes until it turns brown and aromatic.
- In a large bowl, marinate the chicken pieces (for about 10-15 minutes) with the dry roasted spice powder mix, lemon juice, pepper powder, and salt.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and wash and pat dry the curry leaves. Peel ginger and garlic and crush them using mortar and pestle.
- Once the chicken pieces are marinated, heat coconut oil in the same pan you used to dry roast the spices. When the oil is hot, add the crushed ginger & garlic and saute for a minute or two. Add about 2 tablespoon coconut pieces and fry till they turn slightly brown. Add the finely chopped onion and saute till they turn translucent.
- Add the marinated chicken pieces and mix well. Reduce the heat to a low medium and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook the chicken for about 15-20 minutes (or till it is well cooked).
- Open the lid and cook till all the water evaporates and add the curry leaves and fry for another 5 minutes or so. (You can add a little more coconut oil if required)
- Transfer to a serving bowl.
- In a small pan, heat a teaspoon of coconut oil. Add the rest of the coconut pieces and fry till golden brown.
- Pour this onto the chicken fry and garnish with onion rings. Serve hot.
Notes
1. I have tried this recipe with Chicken Breast as well as Chicken thighs (boneless) and they have come out equally good. Chicken breast pieces would give you more aesthetically pleasing pieces.
2. Instead of a combination of Cayenne and Paprika, you can use Kashmiri Chilli Powder.
3.Please make sure that you do not crowd the chicken pieces in the saute pan. Preferably, they should be in one layer on the pan. If you want to make this in large quantity and your pan is not big enough, cook in batches.
4. "Serves 4" is based on this dish being served as a side dish. If you are serving this as an appetizer, this recipe may serve more people.[br]5. Make sure the heat is low-medium when dry roasting the spices to ensure that spices do not burn. If you feel that spices are burning, remove the pan from the heat for a few seconds and then place it back on the fire.
5. To reheat leftover chicken fry, heat a saute pan, brush with a little oil, add the chicken pieces, and heat till required. Microwaving dries out the chicken pieces, though if you microwave it covered, it remains juicy. But I prefer reheating over the stovetop.
6. Preparation time includes the marination time too.
7. Time-Saving Tips
- start with dry roasting the spices and marinate the chicken.
- Chop onion and prepare ginger-garlic while the chicken is marinating.
- while the chicken is cooking, prepare the rice/nan/roti to serve along with chicken fry.