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Goan food is heavily influenced by Portuguese cuisine. Try out Chicken Sorpotel, a take on the traditional recipe with tender chicken and a flavorful blend of spices. Perfect as a main or a pickle.
- 300 gms boneless chicken
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
For the marination
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
For the sorpotel paste
- 8 whole Kashmiri red chillies
- 1″ piece of ginger
- 8 cloves of garlic
- 1″ piece of cinnamon
- 5 cloves
- 10 peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 4 tbsp white vinegar
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To begin, marinate the chicken pieces with turmeric and salt. Mix well and keep aside for 30 minutes.
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Prepare the sorpotel paste by grinding together Kashmiri red chillies, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, and cumin seeds with white vinegar into a smooth paste. Keep aside.
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Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add in the marinated chicken and saute on high heat to retain the juices. Saute for a few minutes until almost done and keep it aside along with the stock if any.
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Heat 2 tbsp oil in the same pan. Add in the chopped onions and saute until translucent.
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Add the sorpotel paste. Mix well and cook until the oil begins to appear on the sides.
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Add water to make the gravy and bring it to a boil.
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Add the cooked chicken with stock and mix well. Add in the tamarind paste and sugar. Mix well, reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
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Check the salt and add more if required. Once done, turn off the heat. Allow it to rest until room temperature. The Goan Chicken Sorpotel is ready to serve. Serve with paos or sannas.
- Sorpotel works great as a pickle. Once cooled, store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. It can last up to two weeks.
- Sorpotel also includes offals but I have not used them in the recipe. Feel free to add them.
- Small pieces of boneless chicken work best for the recipe.
- De-seed the chillies if you want it less spicy.
- You can use regular granulated sugar instead of brown sugar.
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