Chicken Chettinad Recipe (2024)

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Chicken Chettinad Masala is a traditional spicy chicken curry from Tamil Nadu. This chicken chettinad recipe is bursting with the spiciness of goontur chillies, whole peppercorns, and plenty of shallots.

The Chettinad Cuisine

In ancient times, the Chettiyars were a wealthy trading community hailing from the Tamil Nadu region in India. They were mainly the whole spice traders. Hence, the heavy influence of spices can be seen in Chettinad Cuisine.

Chicken Chettinad Pepper Masala is the flag bearer of the Chettinad Cuisine and, to a degree, South Indian food recipes.

If there is one dish that food lovers know of, Chettinad Cuisine, Chicken Chettinad Pepper Masala is it! I love this chicken chettinad recipe so much that it was among the first 20 curry recipes I had finalised for my debut cookbook.

The process of making Chicken Chettinad is very similar to other Indian chicken curries – a lot of masala, frying, and patience are involved. But the taste and aroma of Chicken Chettinad leave a long-lasting impression on the culinary senses.

The Chettinad Masala Paste

What makes this chicken curry special is the flavoursome, homemade Chettinad Masala made from scratch.

The key ingredients of Chettinad Masala are – fennel seeds, black peppercorns, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, coriander seeds, ginger, and garlic.

Dry roast the spices briefly and grind to a coarse paste.

I use it as a versatile masala paste to make Chettinad Prawn Curry, Egg Curry, or a rich mutton curry in Chettinad style.

Is this curry spicy?

The answer is YES! The Chettinad Chicken Masala is a spicy curry. If your palate is not accustomed to spices, proceed with caution.

However, you can tone down the spiciness at home by reducing the number of red chillies and peppercorns in the curry paste.

Also, a splash of coconut milk in the curry can help calm the spices’ heat.

Best Cut Of Chicken

To makeChicken Chettinad,the best choice would be bone-in meat pieces. Thechickenbones lend a delicious flavour to thecurry.

You canuse a combination of bone-in chicken thigh and the leg piece.

This currycan be made with boneless, skinless chicken pieces as well. Try to use boneless chicken thighs, which are much juicier and don’t get dry,unlike chicken breast.

How To Make Chicken Chettinad

Start with making the Chettinad Masala Paste. It is a two-step, easy method. Dry roast the spices, and then grind them.

For this chicken chettinad recipe, you do not need to marinate the chicken.

Next, prepare onion and tomato masala by frying for the curry.

Add the Chettinad curry paste, chicken, and salt, slow cook till the meat is tender, and the Chicken Chettinad is ready!

Serving Suggestion

I love relishing Chicken Chettinad Pepper Masala with tomato garlic rasam, parotta or dosa, and steamed white rice. This is my favourite ultimate comfort meal.

You can enjoy Chettinad Chicken with other Indian bread, such as whole wheat paratha, naan, or chapati. It tastes good with jeera rice or coconut rice also.

More Chicken Recipes

Chilli Chicken
Chicken Pulao
Butter Chicken
Indian Chicken Curry
Chicken Korma Masala
Chicken Cheese Balls

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Chicken Chettinad Recipe

Chicken Chettinad Masala is a traditional style spicy chicken curry. Find tried and tested authentic chicken chettinad recipe.

4.75 from 8 votes

Ingredients

▢ 500 gram chicken with bone, cut into curry size pieces
▢ 1 (an inch in size) piece of cinnamon
▢ 2 green cardamom
▢ 3 – 4 curry leaves
▢ 1 Cup finely chopped onion
▢ ½ Cup tomato paste (grind 2 small-size tomato)
▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
▢ Salt to taste
▢ 4 tablespoon gingely oil/coconut oil/mustard oil

Ingredients For The Masala:

▢ 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
▢ 2 teaspoon black peppercorns
▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
▢ 4 dried red chilies, esp goondu milagai variety
▢ 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
▢ 4 garlic pods
▢ 1 tablespoon chopped ginger

Instructions

Make Chettinad Masala:

To prepare Chettinad Chicken, first clean, wash and pat dry the chicken pieces with a kitchen towel. Keep aside covered in a bowl.
Dry roast fennel seeds, black pepper, cumin, red chilies, coriander seeds till fragrant and slightly darkened. Add ginger, garlic, and grind them in a mixer to a smooth paste using little water. Keep aside until required.

Prepare Chicken Chettinad Curry:

Heat oil in a large kadhai over medium flame. Add the cinnamon, cardamom pods, curry leaves and saute for few seconds till fragrant. Add the chopped onion and saute over low heat till onion is light brown in color.
Next add the tomato paste, salt, turmeric and fry the masala for 10 minutes or so over low heat. The indication of masala being ready is oil starts separating from it.
Now add the Chettinad masala paste and stir to combine. Continue to saute the masala scraping the bottom of the kadhai, till the masala takes deep brown color and nicely roasted.
At this stage add the chicken pieces, salt and stir coat the chicken pieces with the spice mixture. Fry the chicken pieces till they turn pale white in color. Do not add water.
Cover and cook the chicken over low heat till it releases its juices and full cooked.
Open the lid, check the chicken for doneness. At this stage, if you want to make gravy, add 1 cup of water or coconut milk, stir, and simmer the curry for 8 – 10 minutes.
Serve Chicken Chettinad Masala with rice or parotta.

Recipe Notes:

To makeChettinad chickencurry,the best choice would be bone-in meat pieces. You canuse a combination of bone-in chicken thigh, and the leg piece.
Adjust the number of red chilies and peppercorns in the masala according to personal taste.
Add coconut milk to flavor the curry and to balance the heat of the spices.
You can store Chettinad Masala for a week in the refrigerator.
If the goondu milagai variety of red chilli is not available use any variety of dry red chili.

Nutrition

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FAQs

What is Chettinad made of? ›

In Chettinad food, major spices used include anasipoo (star aniseed), kalpasi (a lichen), puli (tamarind), milagai (chillies), sombu (fennel seed), pattai (cinnamon), lavangam (cloves), punnai ilai (bay leaf), karu milagu (peppercorn), jeeragam (cumin seeds), and venthayam (fenugreek).

Read On ›

What does Chicken Chettinad taste like? ›

Now, what makes Chicken Chettinad everyone's favorite? It is made with a unique masala mixture called the Chettinad paste, bursting with the spiciness of guntur chilies, whole peppercorns, cinnamon, shallots, garlic, and plenty of other spices.

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Why is Chettinad chicken famous? ›

Chettinad Cuisine originated from the Chettinadu region in Tamil Nadu and it is famous worldwide and known for the spiciness in food. Chettinad Chicken Gravy is prepared by marinating and cooking chicken with traditional spices used for authentic Chettinad masala.

Why is Indian chicken red? ›

Tandoori chicken is red primarily because of the use of a specific spice called Kashmiri red chili powder in its marinade. Kashmiri red chili powder is made from dried, ground Kashmiri red chilies, which have a vibrant red color and a mild level of spiciness.

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What is the flavor of Chettinad? ›

At the heart of Chettinad cuisine lies its exquisite spice blends. It's famous for its masalas, which are made by grinding a mix of roasted spices such as coriander seeds, cumin, fennel seeds, black pepper, and cinnamon. The star spice of Chettinad cuisine is the fiery red chilli, which adds a bold kick to the dishes.

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What are the spices used in Chettinad? ›

The traditional Chettinad cuisine is well known for using so many varieties of spices like star anise, whole red chillies, fennel seed, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, peppercorn, cumin seeds and fenugreek. In Chettinad cuisine, common “secret” ingredients are dried flower pods, and kalpasi (black stone flower).

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What is chicken chettinad made of? ›

It consists of chicken marinated in yogurt, turmeric and a paste of red chillies, kalpasi, coconut, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black pepper, ground nuts, onions, garlic and sesame oil. It is served hot and garnished with coriander leaves, accompanied with boiled rice or paratha.

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Is Chettinad vegetarian or non veg? ›

Since the Chettiars were originally Tamil Brahmins, the food was majorly vegetarian in nature. Sea-food found a way on the Chettinad cuisine table due to the proximity of the Chettiars to the seashore, which later made way for other non-vegetarian options like chicken, rabbit and turkey.

What is Chettinad style house? ›

Every house built following Chettinad architecture had an imposing entrance with elaborately carved wooden doors and panels. On either side of the entrance would stand two huge raised platforms called thinnai. The main door traditionally opened into a massive hall with columns made of elaborately carved wood.

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What is the origin of Chettinad masala? ›

Chettinad cuisine originates from the Chettinad region in the Sivagangai district of the state of Tamil Nadu in South India. This cuisine is one of the most renowned in South Indian food and has a rich history. Traditionally, the Chettiars traded salt and spices that added a rich flavor to the food.