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Planning to make a totally different chicken recipe this weekend? Call dibs on Chettinad Pepper Chicken Fry then!

Chettinad Pepper Chicken Recipe

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 497kcal
Author: Neha Mathur
Planning to make a totally different chicken recipe this weekend? Call dibs on Chettinad Pepper Chicken Fry then! 
Print Recipe

Ingredients

To grind into a powder

  • 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
  • 2 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
  • 4-5 Dry Red Chillies
  • 3 teaspoon Black Peppercorns
  • 2 inch Cinnamon
  • 3-4 Green Cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
  • ¼ cup Dry Coconut Grated
  • 2 inch Ginger Chopped
  • 10-12 cloves Garlic

For the curry

  • 4 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
  • 2 cups Onion Chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Green Chilli Chopped
  • 2-3 sprigs Curry Leaves
  • 1 kg Chicken Curry cut
  • 1 and ½ cup Tomato Finely Chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
  • 2 teaspoon Tamarind Paste

Instructions

To grind into a powder

  • Dry roast all the ingredients in a pan till they are slightly browned and fragrant.
  • Remove the pan from heat and let the ingredients cool.
  • Grind the ingredients in a blender to make a coarse powder.
  • Keep aside.

To make the curry

  • Heat oil in a pan.
  • When the oil is hot, add bay leaves and mustard seeds.
  • Let the seeds crackle.
  • Add onion and green chilies and fry till onion turns slightly brown.
  • Add curry leaves and fry for a minute.
  • Now add the chicken and fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the masala powder, tomato, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder along with a cup of water.
  • Cover the pan and let the chicken cook for 45-50 minutes on low heat.
  • Keep stirring in between.
  • Add tamarind paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Garnish with fresh coriander.
  • Serve hot with roti or rice.

Notes

Dry roast the ingredients to make the masala powder until they are nicely browned and fragrant. Do this on low heat to release all the flavours.
Adjust the spice level according to your taste. You can increase or decrease the amount of green chillies and red chilli powder.
After adding the chicken, fry it on high heat for 3-4 minutes. this will help to lock the juices inside the chicken.
Use chicken with bones for more flavour.
You can also use fresh grated coconut in place of dry one. Just roast it nicely until browned.

Nutrition

Calories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 698mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1050IU | Vitamin C: 95.7mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 3.8mg