Chicken Chettinad Curry

Chicken Chettinad Curry is a fiery hot and delicious traditional curry from the Chettinad region of South India. Make it using my easy recipe at home.

Jump to:

• About Chicken Chettinad Curry
• Ingredients
• How To Make Chicken Chettinad
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Suggestions
• You Might Also Like
• Recipe Card

About Chicken Chettinad Curry

Chettinad Chicken Curry is a fiery hot, delicious, and aromatic dish that hails from the Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu, South India.

Known for its bold flavors and spice-infused preparations, Chettinad cuisine has gained popularity worldwide, and this chicken curry is one of its shining stars.

This spicy and robust chicken curry is a perfect balance of spices, herbs, and tender chicken, resulting in a rich and flavorful gravy.

The key to an authentic Chettinad chicken curry lies in its distinctive blend of spices.

The curry is typically prepared using a mix of freshly roasted and ground spices, including cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, cumin, Guntur chilies, and coriander seeds.

This spice blend, along with a generous amount of aromatic ingredients such as curry leaves, ginger, garlic, fresh coconut, and onions, creates a complex and tantalizing flavor profile.

Make this curry using my traditional recipe. This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled too.

If you like to try more South Indian chicken recipes, here are some more that you can make at home

• Coconut Curry Chicken
• Malabar Chicken Curry
• Kerala Style Chicken Stew
• Chettinad Pepper Chicken
• Kori Rotti
• Andhra Chicken Curry
• Chicken Salna
• Chicken Vindaloo

Ingredients

To Marinate The Chicken

Chicken – Use skinless bone-in chicken pieces for the best taste as the bones add a lot of flavor to the curry.

I used full chicken cut into pieces but you can use only legs or legs with thighs.

If you are not a fan of bone-in chicken, you can use boneless chicken too.

You will need salt and freshly squeezed lime juice to marinate the chicken.

To Make The Chettinad Masala Paste

Whole Spices – You will need coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds (saunf), white poppy seeds (khus khus), cinnamon (dalchini), star anise (chakri phool), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), black peppercorns (kali mirch), and cloves (laung).

You will also need garlic cloves, grated fresh coconut, and whole-dried Guntur red chilies.

This curry gets its fiery spicy flavor from the use of Guntur chilies. However, if they are not available, then use any spicy dried red chilies.

Guntur chilies, also known as Guntur Sannam or Guntur Mirchi, are a variety of chili peppers that originate from the Guntur district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.

They are widely renowned for their intense heat and pungency, making them a staple ingredient in Andhra cuisine, which is known for its fiery and spicy flavors.

Guntur chilies are considered one of the hottest chili varieties in the world.

In the authentic Chettinad chicken recipe, a spice called Kalpasi (stone flower) is added. If it is available, then add a big pinch along with the other whole spices for a very earthy and unique flavor.

For The Curry

Oil – Use any neutral-flavored cooking oil to make the curry. I used vegetable oil.

Spice Powders – This recipe requires only two spices powders and they are turmeric powder and Guntur red chili powder.

If Guntur chili powder is not available, then use any other spicy chili powder.

Others – You will also need curry leaves, shallots, ginger garlic paste, fresh tomatoes, green chilies, tamarind paste, and cilantro.

How To Make Chicken Chettinad

Marinate The Chicken

Mix 2 pounds of skinless bone-in chicken (cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces) with 2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice in a large bowl and keep aside for ½ an hour.

Make The Chettinad Masala Paste

Add

• 3 tsp whole coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tsp white poppy seeds
• 3-4 cloves peeled garlic
• 1-inch piece of cinnamon
• 1 whole star anise
• 3-4 whole green cardamoms
• 2 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 10-12 dry Guntur red chilies

to a pan.

Dry roast on medium heat for 1 minute, until the spices are fragrant, stirring continuously.

Remove the roasted spices on a plate and keep them aside.

Add 1 cup of grated fresh coconut to the same pan and roast until it is dark brown in color, stirring continuously.

Transfer the roasted spices and roasted coconut to a blender along with 1 and ½ cups of water and blend to make a smooth paste.

Make The Curry

Heat 6 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is hot, add 15-20 whole curry leaves and 1 and ½ cups of thinly sliced shallots and fry until they turn lightly brown, stirring frequently.

Add 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste and cook until the shallots are nicely browned.

Now add the marinated chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add

• Chettinad masala paste
• 1 and ½ cups of finely chopped tomatoes
• 3-4 green chilies (slit into half)

and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 2 teaspoon Guntur chili powder and mix well.

Now add 1 cup of water and mix well.

Reduce the heat to low.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 40-45 minutes until the chicken is cooked well. Stir a few times while cooking.

Add 1 tablespoon tamarind paste and 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro and cook for a minute.

Serve hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

Chicken Chettinad is traditionally served with steamed rice, dosa, or appam.

You can also serve it with Roti, Naan, Biryani, Laccha Paratha, Kerala Parotta, or Tawa Paratha.

Mangalorean Style Neer Dosa, Moong Dal Dosa will also pair great with it.

Serve a Raita and Laccha Onions on the side for a complete meal.

Storage Suggestions

Chicken Chettinad curry can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Make sure to cool it down completely before storing it in the fridge.

You can also freeze it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2-3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Divide the curry into smaller portions before storing it in the fridge or freezer. This way, you can reheat only the amount you need without wasting any leftovers.

When reheating the curry, make sure to heat it thoroughly until it’s steaming hot. You can reheat it in a microwave, on the stove, or in the oven. Add a splash of water or coconut milk to prevent it from drying out.

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