Kerala Roadside Chicken

Recipe from Asha Gomez

Adapted by Kim Severson

Kerala Roadside Chicken
Rikki Snyder for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes, plus 1 hour's marinating
Rating
4(1,245)
Comments
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In the south Indian state of Kerala, a street stall selling food is called a thattukada, and one of the most well-known dishes served is something called chicken fry, or thattu chicken. The chef Asha Gomez, who grew up in the Kerala port city of Trivandrum and now lives in Atlanta, took that street chicken and adapted it into a quick-cooking recipe that relies on coconut oil for crispness, and curry leaves, ginger and garlic for flavor. It gets its heat and color from Kashmiri chile powder, a fruity pepper used in many Indian dishes. It’s worth seeking out the pepper online, or at a market that caters to Indian shoppers, where you can also find the fresh curry leaves that are key to this dish. Ms. Gomez serves it with the flaky paratha that’s unique to Kerala, but any flatbread, or even rice, works well. It’s also a great dish to set out as a nibble with drinks, as they do in the toddy shops of southern India. —Kim Severson

Featured in: A Chef’s Quest in India: Win Respect for Its Cooking

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

    For the Chicken

    • 5cloves garlic, peeled
    • ½-inch-piece ginger, peeled
    • 1½pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
    • 2teaspoons Kashmiri chile powder (or substitute hot paprika)
    • 2teaspoons ground fennel seeds
    • 2teaspoons garam masala
    • 1teaspoon turmeric powder
    • 1teaspoon kosher salt
    • 3cups coconut oil

    For the Garnish

    • ¼cup coconut oil
    • 2large shallots, thinly sliced
    • 3whole small dried red chiles (such as Japones or arbol), broken into 3 pieces each
    • 12 to 15curry leaves
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

1230 calories; 120 grams fat; 98 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 27 grams protein; 397 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the chicken: Smash and chop the garlic and ginger. Then, using a mortar and pestle, blend them together into a paste.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, combine chicken, garlic-ginger paste, spices and salt. Mix well so the spices are evenly distributed. Set chicken aside, covered, in the refrigerator for an hour.

  3. Step 3

    In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, heat the coconut oil on medium heat until a small piece of chicken sizzles vigorously when you add it. Add half the chicken (or however much fits comfortably in a single layer) and deep-fry for 5 to 6 minutes, turning any pieces poking out of the oil halfway through if necessary, until every piece is cooked through. Set the fried chicken aside to drain on a paper-towel-lined plate, and repeat with the remaining chicken.

  4. Step 4

    Make the garnish: Heat coconut oil in a medium sauté pan over high heat. When a small piece of shallot sizzles vigorously in the oil, add the shallots, dried chiles and curry leaves. Cook, stirring often, until shallots are golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garnish to the fried chicken and serve with warm paratha or another flatbread.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,245 user ratings
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Comments

Tim

When you do run across fresh curry leaves you should buy more than you need. They freeze well. Just drop them in a baggie and press out the air. They'll keep for months.

PREM SOURI KISHORE

I always smear turmeric and a tablespoon of water on the chicken and let it sit for a five minutes.Cleanses the chicken and removes any odor of the skin.

Three and a half cups of oil may be a little too much .So go a bit easy. Garnishing does not require so much of oil. I would add a dab of yogurt when the chicken is marinating.
Sprinkle a few fresh green coriander leaves on top when serving

Shamim

Roasting the chicken in the oven ( add a tablespoon of coconut or safflower oil to the marinade) rather than frying also works well and is much healthier. Lots of fresh coriander garnish makes it delicious

Susan

Delicious. Virgin coconut oil (cold pressed is aromatic and flavorful) added to the flavor. I will make this again.

Adam E

This was excellent. I added whole coriander seed to the marinade, which was a nice extra touch.

H. Nair

Came out good and delicious. Adjust chilli to your taste.

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Credits

Adapted from Asha Gomez

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