Aromatic & flavourful chicken fried in coconut oil…
One of the popular dishes in Kerala is beef dry fry or BDF, made with tender pieces of beef that are marinated in a flavorful mix of spices and then pan-fried until they’re cooked through and slightly crispy on the outside.
The “dry” in the name refers to the fact that the beef is cooked without much sauce or gravy, resulting in a dish that’s more on the dry side compared to curries or stews.
Instead of beef, I tried with chicken so it’s CDF.
I improvised the recipe, marinated chicken fried in coconut oil, halfway through I added sliced shallots, ginger, garlic & green chilies, and fried till everything turned golden brown. Towards the end, I’ve added a splash of white vinegar. Vinegar will give a nice kick to this CDF.
This has turned into one of my favorite chicken dishes, I’ve already made this a few times.
Absolutely delicious & aromatic chicken dry fry, enjoy as a side dish with rice, chapati, appam, parotta, etc.
- Boneless chicken, diced- 2 chicken breasts
- Kashmiri chili powder- 1 tsp
- Regular Chili powder- 1 tsp (hot version)
- Turmeric powder- ⅛ tsp
- Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
- Garam masala- ½ tsp
- Cumin powder- ½ tsp (optional)
- Salt- 1½ tsp
- Coconut oil- 5 tbsp
- Curry leaves- 1 sprig
- Shallots, sliced thin- 2 shallots or 4 small-pearl onions
- Garlic, sliced- 2 cloves
- Ginger, sliced- 2-inch slice
- Green chilies, chopped- 2
- White Vinegar- 1 tbsp
- Use boneless chicken breasts, dice them into medium-sized chunks.
- To a bowl, add the chicken along with the above-mentioned ingredients 'for marinating chicken'.
- Combine well & let marinate for 30 minutes.
- Use a cast iron skillet for better frying & taste.
- Place a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add 4 tbsp coconut oil.
- Add the marinated chicken to the pan along with the curry leaves, combine well & let cook for a few minutes.
- Curry leaves will impart a nice aroma, so don't skip adding them.
- To ensure the inside of the chicken cooks well, I cover the pan with the lid & cook for a few minutes.
- Stir fry the chicken.
- When the chicken has almost cooked through, add 1 tbsp more coconut oil.
- Add the shallots, ginger, garlic & green chilies.
- Stir fry till everything turns golden brown in color.
- Finally, add white vinegar & stir fry for a minute.
- Vinegar will give a nice flavor to this dish. I prefer vinegar to lemon juice.
- Take the pan off the heat.
- Serve in a bowl & enjoy as a side dish with rice, chapati, parotta, etc.
