“The best fried chicken ever…and my sister has a fried chicken shop.” Those were the words of a guest at one of my most recent private dinner parties, and who this recipe is dedicated to. Make this chicken for people that you care about – they’ll love you even more for it.
Ghati Masala is a traditional spice mix of central Maharashtra regions such as Satara, Sangali, Kolhapur. It’s vibrant and full of complexity, but takes a little longer to make than most other spice blends, which is why I’ve scaled up the recipe so that you have your own stash of Ghati Masala to use in other dishes. This blend is great sprinkled over samosas, stirred though dhal or used whilst making chutneys.
The tomato chutney that I use in this recipe in my own which I tend to always have a jar of in the fridge, it’s really quick to make and compliments the chicken perfectly, but a good quality shop-bought spiced tomato chutney would do just fine also.
The real not-so-secret trick to getting succulent, juicy chicken is to marinate it in buttermilk overnight – this is the key! The acidity of the buttermilk helps to break down the protein structures of the chicken, resulting in perfectly tender chicken.