Chicken Chettinad or Chettinad chicken curry.

A South Indian chicken curry with its thick, flavorful gravy is a must-add to your monthly curry menu.

Made with boneless chicken, this Indian curry is cooked in some aromatic spices that result in a thick delicious gravy.

The end result is a chicken curry recipe you’ll enjoy tucking into accompanied with a bowl of rice or some homemade garlic naan bread or homemade poori

chicken Chettinad masala curry

Chettinad cuisine originates from the regions and the community it’s named after.
The Chettinad from the state of Tamil Nadu.

There’s a vast array of popular dishes that’s hit the world and once you’ve tasted this Chettinad curry, you’ll understand why this particular cuisine is gaining popularity.

The spices and the thick Chettinad chicken gravy in this dish make it one of the most popular Indian curry dishes out there.

Most Indian dishes are a little complicated for a cook who’s just starting with the basics.

Not because of the difficulty in making them but because they usually have a few steps or shall we say building blocks to complete the dish.

How to prepare chicken Chettinad(the steps)

As mentioned earlier, most Indian curries like chicken Chettinad have layers of flavours.

These can take the form of,

• A spice blend that needs to be made fresh.
• leaving the meat in a marinade for a few hours.
• Or most often the method of cooking that helps to build up the flavour profile layers.

Taste is everything…

Taste is one thing all these popular dishes and curries have in common.

They stand out because of their taste and today’s dish, the classic Chettinad chicken is one such curry.

On a personal note, I have tried as much as possible to stay true to the authentic Chettinad spices and ingredients as well as cooking methods.

But please be aware there are regional variations as well as traditional Chettinad recipes that are passed down through families.

Tips to make the best chicken Chettinad curry

• Before you even give this recipe a try, have all the ingredients to this Indian chicken curry ready.

• With all the aromatic spices used for the Chettinad chicken, the curry needs to be slow-cooked so that the meat has enough time to absorb all the flavours.

• Take your time and don’t increase the fire of the stove to cook the curry quicker.

• I usually leave out the amount of salt to be added to the reader(you), so make sure you do a bit of taste testing as you cook the curry.

• The combination of dry red chillies and chilli powder can be too spicy so reduce the number of chillies you use to suit your level of heat.

• There are three essential steps to making this Chettinad chicken curry.
  • Heating and grinding some of the spices and scraped coconut.
  • Make a wet spice mix to add additional flavour to the gravy.
  • Leaving the chicken to slow-simmer in the wet masala gravy. 

SAVE THE RECIPE TO PINTEREST

Kitchen appliances and utensils needed

• You will need a coffee or spice grinder.
• Non-stick pan to roast the spices
• large pan or wok to make the curry
• lid to cover the pan.

FAQ: Chettinad chicken curry

• Can I add coconut milk instead of water to make the thick gravy?
  • Yes, instead of water, add 1 cup of thick coconut milk and slow simmer till you have a thick gravy or the consistency you prefer. This would also reduce the spiciness of the chicken curry.

• How can I reduce the spiciness of the chicken Chettinad curry?
  • The spices that add heat are red chillies, red chilli powder and peppercorns reducing them in half.
  • Reduce the number of cloves as well. If the chicken curry recipe is still hot, then pour in some coconut milk as well.

More Indian chicken curry recipes

• Chicken vindaloo
• Butter chicken
• Mughlai chicken
• Chicken pasanda(almond chicken curry

What to serve with Chettinad chicken curry

Serve with

• Home-cooked white rice, coconut rice, chicken biryani, egg biryani or with Sri Lankan yellow rice.
• Garlic naan, plain naan or poori.
• Sri Lankan coconut roti or Paratha
• Some roast paan

Vegetable side dishes and salads

• Dal tadka
• Sri Lankan potato curry
• chickpea and potato curry(chana aloo curry).
• Egg plant stir fry
• Sri Lankan fried eggplant/brinjal salad.
• Paneer curry(cottage cheese curry).

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-LITTLE CARE IS NEEDED

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

Ingredients to make Chettinad curry

To make the Chettinad masala spice

1 tablespoon of oil

2 tablespoons of coriander seeds

1 teaspoon of poppy seeds(there are times that I run out of this ingredient and cook without, so you can make this an optional ingredient but if you want to stick to the authentic recipe then poppy seeds are a must).

1 tablespoon of cumin seeds

1/2 a teaspoon of peppercorns

1 tablespoon of fennel seeds

4 green cardamoms

3 cloves

1 piece of cinnamon(1-2 inches)

1 Star anise

5 whole dry red chillies

To make the Chettinad chicken gravy

1/2 a cup of scraped coconut(substitute with dessicated coconut)

2-inch piece of ginger chopped fine(2 tbsp)

6 cloves of garlic chopped fine(3 tbsp

3 tablespoons of oil

A sprig of curry leaves

1 large onion

3 medium-sized tomatoes

1 teaspoon of chilli powder

1 teaspoon of turmeric

Salt to season

1 kg of chicken parts(you can use a mix of parts or boneless chicken as I have done)

2 tablespoons of lime

1 and 1/2 cup of water(see notes above if using coconut milk)

Fresh Coriander leaves to garnish.

how to cook Chettinad chicken

Gather all the spices needed to make the Chettinad chicken curry before you begin making the curry.

Cut the onions(1 large sliced fine), tomatoes(3 medium chopped), ginger(2 “inch pieces about 2 tbsp), and garlic(6 cloves, about 3 tbsp).

Clean, wash,drain and pat dry the chicken once you’ve cut them into the required size.

Roasting the spices for chicken Chettinad

Place a pan over low heat, and pour a tablespoon of oil.

Add the coriander seeds(2tbs), poppy seeds(1tsp), cumin seeds(1 tbs), peppercorns(1/2tsp), cardamom(4), cloves(3), cinnamon(1 inch piece), star anise(1), fennel seeds(1tbs), red chillies(5 whole dry chillies).

Roast the following ingredients for 3-5 minutes over low medium fire until they release their aroma. set aside to cool.

Important: When you add the ingredients to the dry roast(above instruction).

Add one spice at a time to the pan, leaving a few seconds in between adding the next spice.

Add the dry red chillies at the end, so the chillies won’t burn.

Once all the spices are roasted, transfer them to a bowl.

Wipe the same pan and place the pan over a low fire.

Add the scraped coconut(1/2 a cup, substitute with dessicated coconut).

Do not add oil but gently roast until the coconut changes slightly golden and looks dry.

This should be done over low-medium heat for at least 5 minutes. set aside to cool.

Making the chicken Chettinad masala paste

Once the roasted spices and coconut are cool, add them to the coffee grinder.

Add the chopped ginger(a 2-inch piece of ginger chopped fine(2 tbsp) and garlic(6 cloves) as well.

Grind all the spices till you have a thick masala powder to make the Chettinad chicken gravy.

Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

How to cook the Chettinad chicken curry

Place your preferred cooking pan or wok over medium heat and pour in oil(4 tbsp), leave it to warm for a few seconds.

Once the oil is warm, add curry leaves, onions(1 large sliced fine), and tomatoes(3 medium chopped).

Red chilli powder(1 tsp), and turmeric(1 tsp).
Sauté the following ingredients until the onions and tomatoes turn soft.

Maintain medium heat, and add the ground masala(spice mix)to the tempered ingredients in the pan.

Combine and cook all the ingredients in the pan until oil separates, this should take 5 minutes.

Add the chicken to the masala mix, season with salt and combine all ingredients together.

cook for a further 5 minutes.

Pour in two cups of water, and the lime juice, cover with a lid and let it slow-cook until gravy thickens and reduces to the consistency you prefer.

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