This Kerala Chicken Roast Recipe is a family favourite which Amma’s friend makes and sends over whenever us kids visit Kottayam. It is a semi-gravy chicken recipe so there’s enough to mop up with your appam and the gravy also has tons of onions. The fiery red colour and the delicious gravy of the chicken curry is sure to impress you as well.
Visits to Kottayam always involve a lot of great food. Like I was telling TH the other day, I have come to realise that my family expresses affection through food – and lots of it!
Amma goes into overdrive preparing for our visits days before we actually get there and as soon as we do, the extended family starts calling with plans of days and meals and meet ups.
Amma has a good friend who always sends food over when we get there. This Kerala Chicken Roast is one of her specialties and we love it! Once I asked her for her recipe, especially the secret of the deep lovely colour of her special Kerala Chicken Roast but she’s not one to divulge her secret recipes so I am not sure how she achieves that. Red food colour maybe or adding some water that beetroot was cooked in? I do have her basic recipe though which tastes fabulous, so here goes – Spicy Kerala Chicken Roast for you and your family to enjoy.
You may also like: Dry Indian Chilli Chicken Recipe, Chettinad Chicken Masala, Kerala Chicken Curry, and Chicken 65 Recipe.
- 500 gm of chicken with bones, cut into medium-sized pieces
- 4 large onions, sliced long
- 4 green chillies, slit lengthwise
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 4 tbsp of curd
- ½ tsp of turmeric powder
- 2 tsp of red chilli powder
- 3 tbsp of oil
- 1 tsp of cloves + cinnamon + peeled cardamom, crushed together
- A pinch of red food colour (optional)
- 1 tsp of chicken masala
- 1 strand of curry leaves
- ¼ tsp of fennel seeds
- 2 tsp of coriander powder
- ½ tsp of mustard seeds
- 3 tsp of freshly crushed garlic
- 1 tsp of freshly crushed ginger
- Marinate the chicken pieces in curd, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and salt for 30 mins. If you need to leave it longer, refrigerate it.
- Heat oil and add the mustard seeds and fennel seeds. When they pop and sizzle, add the sliced onions and green chillies. Reduce flame to medium-low and fry the onions until they turn golden brown. The amount of oil at this stage should be on the higher side so add a bit more of you feel it's not.
- Next, add the coriander powder and the freshly crushed masala (cloves, etc) and fry for 10 seconds. Top off with the ginger garlic paste and sautè for another 30 seconds until the mixture turns fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, food colour (if using) and curry leaves and mix well. Cook until the tomatoes turn soft - about 3 mins.
- Dunk the marinated chicken pieces into this mixture and increase the flame to medium-high. Cook stirring frequently until the chicken pieces begin to roast. You don't have to add any water, the meat will let out water as it cooks. Adjust salt and keep roasting until the chicken is cooked soft. This will take about 20-25 mins. If you feel the chicken is not cooking well, cook closed to speed up the process. The curry will be watery in this case so once the chicken is cooked, cook on an open flame until your desired consistency is reached.
- When the chicken has roasted and most of the water has been cooked off, add the chicken masala and mix well. Cook for another minute and remove from fire.
Serve the spicy Kerala chicken roast with Kerala appam or steamed white rice.
loved it! its not to dry, neither a gravy. yes, the water from the chicken was enough. i blended the onions, tomatoes, ginger & garlic.. so i have a smooth paste to eat with the rotis, and so that my LO can eat without complaint!
its fast and easy!
Thank you Shuba!
Hi,
This question is from a pure vegetarian wife who loves to cook for her chicken-loving husband, so please excuse my ignorance. What do you mean by chicken pieces? Which part of the chicken is this? Here in North American stores, chicken is packaged as drumsticks, thighs, breasts, etc.
Thank you!!!
Deepthi
hi deepthi, kudos for cooking meat for your husband 🙂 you can use chicken breast cubes for this recipe.
Tried the chicken roast recipe. Taste very nice. Tq for the post
In some recipes they use coconut milk instead of curd. Whats the difference between the two? Which one is actually more authentic? Could you suggest me? Im confused.
Both are fine. Every region and family make it differently.
Different tastes for sure. However, curd has the property of tenderizing the meat and coconut milk does not. Using curd will have the effect of using lime juice or vinegar in your marinade. Adding coconut milk will completely change the flavour profile of this dish. But, IMHO, it will taste great with coconut milk as well.
I tried the recipe… but the below crushed combination some how made the gravy sweet and different taste which we didnt like… it would be good if you can tell home many cloves and others to be used.
1 tsp of cloves + cinnamon + peeled cardamom, crushed together
You can increase the amount of chilli powder
Hi…thanks for the recipe…I tried it at home…everyone loved the taste…didn’t use the colour though…also I had added few cashew nuts…wish I could send u the picture…but there is no option here…Please post such type of recipes again…would love to try more of it recipes…thankyou
i will surely try to post more such recipes. thanks for trying 🙂
This has become a regular once in a week dish for us. My daughter loves it. I skipped the colour.
Doesn’t look like the one in the pic though, maybe bcos I skipped the colour.
doesn’t matter as long as it tastes good to you 🙂
This one is my family’s all time favourite of my chicken recipes.yes i have taken all the credits shamelessly. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe.
haha feel free! i am glad they enjoy it 🙂
Hi Nags,
If I use 1kg of chicken, do I have to double the recipe?
Thank you
Mary.
yes, try it by doubling but maybe reduce spices a bit
HiNags,
If I use 1kg of chicken, do I have to double the recipe(8 onions seem too much)?
Thank you
Mary.
yes the main part of this recipe is the onions but you can reduce it to 6 for double the recipe and also reduce spices
Tried the recipe today…came out really well…My 10yr old boy loved it….didnt get the fiery red colour as shown in the pic..
But, loved it …will try it again as it’s so easy..
thanks regina. to get the deep red colour, use Eastern tikha mirch powder or kashmiri chilli powder
Kerala chkn looks yum. Want to try
Looks delicious (y).
The recipe looks really nice and easy. The chicken masala you have mentioned could you please tell me which one to use. Or how you made it.
Thank you.
I usually use Eastern Chicken Masala but any Indian brand of chicken masala should do 🙂
Awesome taste I must say..I added a tsp of pepper powder and more garam masala to enhance taste.. Thank you so much Nags 🙂
Thank you Maya!
Love it!! My husband was amazed at my first attempt at chicken curry 🙂 🙂 thank you
that’s great annu! 🙂
Which chicken masala did you add
I typically use Eastern Masala
I have tried this recipe 2-3 times and the result was quite good. My daughter insisted that I make it everyday 🙂
yay! thanks liz 🙂
Awesome recipe…have tried it quite a few times now….tastes great….thank u
thank you raji!
Thank you. I made a super chicken roast for chritmas.
Thank you, merry christmas!
Made this today..it turned out delicious…however,I didn't get d fiery red colour of he curry in your pics.where did I go wrong??
Hello Anna, glad it turned out good! I have mentioned this in the post but the lady I got this recipe from adds red food colour. She's a caterer so has to make her food look "better" I suppose 🙂
wow…looks yummy & mouth watering.I'm going to try today. But I don't have chicken masala. What must I do to replace that ? Can I use garam masala ?
yes but the flavour will be different
I made this today & it turned out to be a hit 🙂
I love the way you write……:-)
May I know hw much cloves, cinnamon and cardamom I should use
everything put together should come up to 1 tsp. you can use estimates, it won't make or break your dish. but if i HAD to give you quantities, i'd say 3-4 cloves, 1" piece of cinnamon, and 3 pods of cardamom
I used Kashmiri chillie powder and the color was fantastic! Good alternative to food coloring!
Love your blog! Keep up the good work!
Thank you Shalini 🙂
Hi
I tried this recipe and it turned out delicious.Thank you so much.This recipe is a keeper.I have been a silent reader of your blog but I wanted to let you know about this.Thanks once again.
Shalini.
i dont know how i missed this post..saw it on pinterest and headed right here. have bookmarked it..i am such a sucker for any new chicken masala/gravy recipe and the one your sister posted recently tops the list. Its as authentic a dish ive ever made and i flaunt it everytime i have guests over;)
This and ghee rice is gonna be our sunday afternoon lunch 🙂
This chicken roast is worth eating. Yummy and a spicy dish.
Slurrpp….cudnt resist….yumm!
Love the detail of your images, such depth and texture.
Makes your taste buds go mad instantly 🙂
Truly cant resist, wonderful feast for non veg lovers.
Amazing Nags.. This is a real feast to the eyes dish.
Wow, i'm droooooooling away here. I totally agree with you on how our families greet us with food. Totally the same scenario at my place 🙂
Thats chicken roast is amazing and worth trying!!
Happy New Year Nags!
Regards,
Manju
http://manjuseatingdelights.blogspot.com/
That is truly delicious looking Nags. Definitely one for my must try list.
Happy holidays and new year to you!
That chicken is to die for…yummm
Though I am vegetarian…I must say…b'ful colors in the menu 🙂
-Rashmi
Just a look is enough to satisfy the taste buds!!!..Lovely presntation. an easy recipe to try
Regards
Baskaran
mouthwatering n delicious…
This looks seriously yumm nags..great post.
wow this looks so good, super inviting
SUper yumm
Maha
OMG !!! c the color… Wow !! Love it….
mmmm chicken roast! seeing the picture brings water to my mouth. droolworthy pic.. and reading the recipe, i can taste the spicy tomato pieces, the almost sweet caramelised onion, the yoummy semi-hard roasted chicken… yum! what a christmas treat! thank you!
Wow, Nags! That looks like a fantastic and delicious chicken recipe! Will try it out ! Please check out my blog at- http://www.rita-bose-cooking.com/