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Chicken Chettinad
Ratings & commentsFiery Chettinad chicken in a freshly ground fennel, pepper and coconut masala. A bold, aromatic Tamil Nadu curry for four.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 h 5 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Heat
- Hot
About this Chicken Chettinad
Chettinad cooking is famous for heat and aroma, built from freshly ground spices rather than sauces. This chicken curry leans on black pepper, fennel and coconut to make a dark, fragrant masala that clings to the meat. It is quick once the spice paste is ground, and it is best with plain rice or dosa.
Ingredients
- 1 kgChicken Breast, cut into chunks
- 300 gOnions, finely chopped
- 200 gTomatoes, chopped
- 200 gCoconut, freshly grated
- 10 gFennel, seeds
- 5 gBlack Pepper, whole peppercorns
- 30 gGarlic
- 30 gGinger
- 10 gChilli Powder
- 5 gTurmeric
- 10 gCurry Leaves
- 50 mlVegetable Oil
- 15 gSalt
Plus water and a little salt to taste.
How to prepare Chicken Chettinad
Dry-roast the fennel seeds and peppercorns in a small pan for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Cool, then grind with the grated coconut, garlic and half the ginger and a splash of water to a coarse paste.
Heat the oil in a heavy pan. Add the curry leaves, then the onions and the remaining ginger. Fry for 8-10 minutes until deep golden.
Add the tomatoes, turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the oil starts to separate.
Add the chicken and stir for 3-4 minutes to seal and coat it in the masala.
Stir in the ground coconut paste and 250 ml of water. Cover and simmer gently for 15-18 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick.
Uncover and cook for another 3-4 minutes to reduce until the masala coats the chicken. Rest for 5 minutes and serve with rice, dosa or flatbread.
Tips
- For less heat, halve the chilli powder - the black pepper still carries plenty of warmth.
- Chicken breast cooks quickly: take the pan off the heat as soon as the pieces are white all the way through.
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