Chettinad Chicken Curry
Chettinad (Chettinadu) Curry takes the name after a region located in Tamil Nadu, India. The name means “land” (Nadu) of Chettiars.
This curry is spicy, flavorful, and different from the rest of the chicken curries.
Chettinad Chicken curry has a fabulous aroma from various spices. The bold and hot flavor comes from a variety of spices. Coconut helps to balance the spices and add a creamier taste to the dish.
It is one of the spiciest chicken dishes in India. If you are the person ordering mild curries at the restaurant, this one is not for you.
This dish is modified to meet the present-day availability of ingredients and tools. Traditionally, the spice powders are from a particular type of chili called Gundu chilies and the masala powder is made in mortar and pestle. Shallot is used instead of red onions. Gingelly oil or fresh sesame oil is used instead of regular oil.
In this recipe, I have used ready-made chili powder, and I have used a blender to blend the spices. I have used red onions in place of shallots and used regular oil.
PrintChettinad Chicken Curry
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings
Description
Chettinad Chicken curry has a fabulous aroma from various spices. It is one of the spiciest chicken dishes. The bold and hot flavor comes from variety of spices. Coconut helps to balance the spices and add a creamier taste to the dish.
Ingredients
Bone-in chicken- 1 lb
Salt- 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
Chili Powder- 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste- 2 Tbsp
Yogurt- 1/4 cup
Red Chilies- 4
Black Peppercorns- 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds=- 1 Tbsp
Star Anise- 1
Cloves- 4
Cardamom- 2
Poppy Seeds- 1 1/2 Tbsp
Cumin- 1 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds- 1 1/2 tsp
Grated Coconut- 3/4 cup
Oil- 2 Tbsp
Mustard Sees- 1 tsp
Curry Leaves – 6
Bay Leaves- 3
Cinnamon Sticks- 3
Onions- 1 1/2 cups
Tomatoes- 1 1/2 cups
Garnish
Cilantro- 1/2 cup
Instructions
1. Marinate the chicken with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp chili powder, 2 Tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1/4 cup yogurt, and mix everything well.
2. Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
3. Preparing the spices to make the coconut curry paste: In a pan, roast the following spices until the fragrant aroma comes. 4 red whole chiles, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 Tbsp coriander seeds, 1 star Anise, four cloves, two cardamoms, 1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds, 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, and 1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds.
4. In another bowl, take 3/4 cup of grated coconut and add the roasted spices to it.
5. Add 1/2 cup of water and blend the coconut and spices to a smooth paste.
6. In a 3-quart pan, take 2 Tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot, add 1 tsp of mustard seeds, six curry leaves, 3 Bay leaves, and two cinnamon sticks.
7. Add 1 1/2 cups of finely diced onions, saute for 1 minute. Caramelize the onions and then add 1 1/2 cups of chopped tomatoes. Saute the onion and tomatoes for 5 minutes.
8. Add the marinated chicken to the pan. Mix well and cook the chicken for about 10 minutes.
9. Add the prepared coconut curry paste. Mix the chicken and curry paste well. Cover the lid and cook for 15 minutes.
10. After 15 minutes, open the lid and adjust the salt as needed.
11. Garnish with 1/4 cup of coriander leaves and adjust and let it come to boil one more time.
12. Serve hot with rice or roti.
Notes
Alternatively, you can use store-bought Chettinad masala powder or spice powder to make this curry. But it adds a whole new level of depth of flavor with freshly prepared spices at home.
Coconut helps to balance the spices and add creaminess to the dish. The amount of coconut that is used can be reduced to 1/2 cup or 1/4 cup instead of 3/4 cup if you want to elevate the heat and reduce the number of calories of this dish.
Gingelly oil is used traditionally in making Chettinad curry. I have used regular neutral oil here. One oil that is close to the taste of Gingelly oil is toasted sesame oil. It adds a mild nutty flavor to the curry.
- Prep Time: 15 mintes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Chicken Dishes
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 225 Kcal
- Sugar: 2.62 g
- Sodium: 406 mg
- Fat: 10.49 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.566 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.615 g
- Trans Fat: 0.014 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.51 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 25.93 g
- Cholesterol: 79 mg
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