Podi Chicken Roast
This dry chicken roast uses Chennai Milagai Podi as a late-stage coating rather than cooking it aggressively from the beginning. Ginger, garlic, onion and curry leaves create the base, while the podi supplies roasted lentil, sesame, chilli and asafoetida character.
Servings
4
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Extra Time
Marination Time: 30 minutes
✨ Zaika Potli Secret Technique
Add 2½ tbsp Chennai Milagai Podi only after the chicken is cooked and most moisture has evaporated. Toss briefly over low heat.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- Boneless chicken thigh — 700 g, cut into bite-size pieces
- Thick curd — ¼ cup / 60 g
- Ginger-garlic paste — 1 tbsp
- Turmeric — ¼ tsp
- Salt — ¾ tsp
For the Roast
- Sesame oil or neutral oil — 2 tbsp
- Onion — 1 large, thinly sliced
- Curry leaves — 12
- Green chilli — 1, slit
- Chennai Milagai Podi — 2½ tbsp / about 20–25 g
- Lemon juice — 1 tbsp
Cooking Instructions
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1Combine chicken with curd, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric and salt.
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2Marinate for 30 minutes.
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3Heat oil in a wide kadai.
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4Add onion and cook until golden.
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5Add curry leaves and green chilli.
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6Add the marinated chicken.
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7Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
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8Reduce the heat, cover and cook for another 10–12 minutes until nearly done.
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9Uncover and increase the heat slightly.
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10Cook until excess moisture evaporates and the chicken begins browning.
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11Reduce the heat again.
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12Add Chennai Milagai Podi and toss thoroughly.
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13Cook for only 1–2 minutes.
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14Turn off the heat and add lemon juice.
💡 Chef's Pro Tip
The podi works best as a coating, not as a long-cooked curry masala. Adding it late preserves its roasted flavour and prevents the sesame and lentils from scorching.
🍽️ Perfect Serving Pairings
My Take On Podi Chicken Roast
This dry chicken roast uses Chennai Milagai Podi as a late-stage coating rather than cooking it aggressively from the beginning. Ginger, garlic, onion and curry leaves create the base, while the podi supplies roasted lentil, sesame, chilli and asafoetida character.
The Secret: The podi works best as a coating, not as a long-cooked curry masala. Adding it late preserves its roasted flavour and prevents the sesame and lentils from scorching.