Chicken Chettinad Curry Recipe

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.

4.85 from 13 votes

Chicken Chettinad Curry Recipe

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Marination Time30

Total Time1 40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: people

Author: Neha Mathur

Ingredients

To Marinate The Chicken

2 pounds skinless bone-in chicken 1 kg, cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

For The Chettinad Masala Paste

3 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds (saunf)
2 teaspoons white poppy seeds (khus khus) skip if not available
3-4 cloves of garlic peeled
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
1 whole star anise (chakri phool)
3-4 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
1 teaspoon whole cloves (laung)
10-12 dry Guntur red chilies use Kashmiri chilies for a milder curry
1 cup grated fresh coconut

For The Curry

6 tablespoons oil
15-20 curry leaves
1 and ½ cups thinly sliced shallots
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 and ½ cups finely chopped tomatoes chopped
3 - 4 green chilies slit into half
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons Guntur red chili powder or to taste, use Kashmiri red chili powder for a milder curry
1 tablespoon tamarind paste (pulp)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinate The Chicken

Mix chicken with salt and lime juice in a large bowl and keep aside for ½ an hour.

Make The Chettinad Masala Paste

Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, green cardamoms, black peppercorns, cloves, and dry 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 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 oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add curry leaves and shallots and fry until they turn lightly brown, stirring frequently.
Add 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 the Chettinad masala paste, tomatoes, and green chilies and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add turmeric powder and 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 in between.
Add tamarind paste and cilantro and cook for a minute.
Serve hot.

Video

Notes

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.

If whole Guntur chilies and Guntur chili powder are not available, then you can use any other spicy chili in its place. For a milder curry, use Kashmiri red chili powder or ground paprika.

Nutrition