Kerala recipe · Serves 4 · About 1 hour

Kerala chicken roast (ചിക്കൻ റോസ്റ്റ്)

The dark, glossy roast on many Kerala Christmas tables, eaten with appam, bread or rice. It uses all four spices, and the onions do most of the work.

Spices used: Kashmiri chilli powder · Coriander powder · Turmeric powder · Whole black pepper

Ingredients

750 g chicken, cut into medium pieces
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp crushed black pepper and salt, for the marinade
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp coconut oil
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp ginger, crushed
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
3 green chillies, slit
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 tomato, chopped
2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp black pepper, freshly crushed
½ tsp garam masala
¼ cup water
Salt to taste

Rub the chicken with the marinade spices, salt and lemon juice. Rest for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
Heat the coconut oil and cook the onions on medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until deep golden.
Add the ginger, garlic, green chillies and one sprig of curry leaves and cook for 2 minutes.
Lower the heat. Add the Kashmiri chilli, coriander and turmeric with a splash of water and stir for a minute.
Add the tomato and cook until it melts into the masala. Add the chicken, the water and salt, cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then.
Uncover, add the crushed pepper, garam masala and the second sprig of curry leaves, and roast on low heat until the masala is dark and clings to the chicken.