Cafreal masala is a green paste made with greens and spices which was introduced in Goa by the Portuguese. African culinary influence were adopted by the Portuguese to provide this jewel of a recipe to us. In Goa, chicken cafreal is a renowned dish. However, this masala has been used for making seafood and vegetarian versions of the recipe as well. I have eaten cafreal at many places. But I never get the satisfaction that I get when I eat the one that Daddy makes. It has a perfect blend of spicy, tart and sweet! Everyone in my family is head over heels for this ambrosial recipe . Luckily, I have inherited “the cafreal gene” from Daddy and am able to make cafreal that tastes like the one he makes.

My brother loves the cafreal I make. I remember a funny story. It was my first visit to Goa after moving to USA. Throughout the trip, my brother kept requesting me to make cafreal. Not finding enough time, I decided to make it one day before my return to USA. Now, it so happened that Shravan (month where most Hindus don’t eat meat) was going on. My mom does not allow non vegetarian food to be eaten in the house for religious reasons during that time. Now that was a problem because I cannot cook without tasting! Sure enough the cafreal was the worst my brother had ever eaten! 😀 Luckily, I have grown to be a better chef than that!

What you will need:

How to make it:

• Keep all the ingredients ready- including coriander leaves, spring onions, cinnamon stick, cloves, pepper, green chilies, cumin, ginger and garlic. Put all the ingredients in a mixer along with red chili powder, turmeric, jaggery and salt. Add in the coconut vinegar and rum and blend into a fine paste. DO NOT use water.
• To store the masala for a longer time, make sure that the mixer and the storage container are dry. Use fresh ingredients that have been thoroughly cleaned and dried.
• Apply to desired meats or fish overnight. Fry the meat on a tawa with coconut oil and enjoy!