Chettinadu Chicken Curry

Spicy, full of flavors and hearty, Chicken Chettinadu is a delicious chicken curry from the Chettinadu region of South India. It can be made dry or with gravy. You will find this one on the menu of almost every South Indian restaurant.

The ingredient that makes the onion tomato base of this dish different from others is the freshly grounded Chettinad masala, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and green chillies.

Chettinad masala gives it a hot and spicy flavor. It includes simple ingredients such as coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, and red dry chillies. Get the masala ready beforehand so that it takes less time to cook Chettinad Chicken.

Serves - 4

Ingredients:

1/2 kg chicken, washed and drained,

1 medium onion, grated,

1 medium onion, finely chopped,

1 medium tomato, grated,

1 medium tomato, finely chopped,

2-3 tbsp curd,

1 tsp ginger garlic paste,

8-10 curry leaves,

2 whole red chillies,

2 whole green chillies,

1 + 1 tsp turmeric powder,

2 tsp pepper powder,

2-3 tbsp roasted spice powder, (adjust as per spice intake)

2-3 tbsp oil,

Salt as per taste,

Chettinad Masala Powder:

1 tbsp pepper corns,

1 tbsp tsp cumin seeds,

2 tbsp coriander seeds,

4 dry red chillies,

Method: 

1. Marinate the chicken with 1 tsp turmeric powder, a little salt and curd and set it aside for 15 mins.
2. Dry roast all the ingredients mentioned in the Chettinad Masala Powder separately until a nice aroma comes. Grind it dry into a fine powder. Cool and store it in an air tight container. 
3. Next, heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add the broken whole red chillies, chopped onions, curry leaves and saute until translucent.
4. Add the grated onion and ginger-garlic paste and saute well on high flame.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute further on high flame. Once it comes together as as thick paste add the grated tomato. 
6. Reduce the heat and add slit green chillies, turmeric powder, 1 tsp of black pepper powder, and 1 tbsp of the roasted spice powder. Mix well. 
7. Once the oil separates, add the marinated chicken along with the marinade. Adjust the salt and cover and let it cook in low heat for 10-12 mins. Keep stirring occasionally.
8. Once cooked, add 1-2 tbsp of the roasted spice powder and 1 tsp of black pepper powder. Mix well and switch off the heat. Allow it to sit for 5 mins before serving.
9. Serve hot with rice or parathas.

Chettinad cuisine has a predominant flavouring of coriander, curry leaves and the heat from black pepper. This may not be as authentic as you can get in Chettinad, however I think I did justice to it. This Chicken Chettinad tastes great with Steamed Rice, Biryani, Laccha Paratha, Phulka, Kerala Parotta, or Tawa Paratha.

Did you make this recipe?

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