Chettinad chicken can be enjoyed in two delightful variations: dry or with a luscious gravy. It pairs perfectly with steamed basmati rice or ghee rice. Alternatively, you can savor this spicy chicken curry with Indian flatbreads like naan or roti/chapati. I did not have much exposure to south indian chicken recipes growing up in a north indian home. However, I have taught myself a few of them over the years, since my husband is really fond of them,one of them being this chicken chettinad recipe. Chettinad chicken is not for the faint hearted! This dish is known for its intense spiciness that will leave a lasting impression on your taste buds. If you enjoy a bold and spicy curry, this recipe is guaranteed to delight you.
What Is Chicken Chettinad
Chettinad chicken curry has roots in Chettinad region, located in the south indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chettinad cuisine is famous for its vibrant and spicy flavors, and chettinad chicken perfectly showcases this characteristic. In an authentic chettinad chicken recipe, chicken (usually bone-in) is cooked in a fragrant gravy of shallots, tomatoes and a fiery spice paste made of salem gundu chillies, dagga phool or kalpasi spice (stone flower) among other woody whole spices. This particular variety of chilli imparts a fiery taste and a sanguine color to this dish. However, I use a combination of dried and ground kashmiri red chillies (for color) and hot red chilli powder to achieve that intense heat. Some recipes also use coconut milk, but I use desiccated coconut(easily found in my pantry on all days). On great days, I have frozen coconut in the freezer and I choose that. The process of making this popular South Indian chicken dish begins by toasting woody indian spices such as cinnamon, black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds along with desiccated coconut and red chillies. This fresh ground spice paste is included in the onion tomato gravy to which, additionally, warm and earthly flavors like ginger and curry leaves are added.
Ingredients
Which Chicken cut is the best? If you are new around here, we love slow cooking! Preferably use bone in chicken since bones add a ton of flavor to the gravy as well as they can stand up to long slow cooking. If you wish to use boneless chicken, choose skinless boneless chicken thighs. Dont cut boneless chicken too small, about 2 to 2.5 inches is a good size so that you can cook them longer in gravy without drying out. I take the middle route and it works beautifully for us. I use both bone in chicken along with boneless chicken thighs because my husband isn’t a fan of bone in chicken. Go figure! Chettinad Masala - The key ingredient made with whole spices. Feel free to use your favorite store bought spice blend. But if can put in extra 10-15 minutes and make a fresh masala, it will make a huge difference in taste of the dish, I promise. You will need following spices for making the ground chettinad masala
Dried Kashmiri Chillies (or use salem gundu chillies if you have those) Coriander Seeds Fennel Seeds Cumin Seeds White Poppy Seeds Cloves Desiccated Coconut or fresh grated coconut- Frozen grated coconut available in most south asian grocery stores is perfect to use too.
(You may add a few black peppercorns if you wish) Other Ingredients - Cinnamon, star anise, black cardamom (or use green cardamom instead and grind them above when you make the chettinad masala paste) & bayleaf (for tempering), sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and red chilli, lime, salt and cooking oil. Curry Leaves - Fresh curry leaves are best and they are easily available at south asian grocery stores. Unfortunately, there is no substitute. You could use dried or frozen ones if available.
How To Make Chicken Chettinad (Step by Step Pictures)
Marinate The Chicken
Make The Chettinad Masala Paste
Note - If you are using fresh coconut, no need to toast it, simply grind with spices.
Make the Chettinad Chicken Gravy
Recipe Tips
Serving Suggestions
Serve chettinad chicken with indian flatbreads like parathas or with steamed basmati rice.
