Chicken Chattinad Style

Chicken Chettinad is an authentic south Indian dish. You’ll find this listed in almost every South Indian restaurant menu. Traditionally, this dish is very spicy and oily and is cooked with some distinct ingredients such as poppy seeds, fennel seeds, coriander seeds along with tamarind.

I have modified the dish according to my own personal preferences. Chicken is cooked with freshly roasted and ground aromatic spices that give a very special aroma to the curry. Heat level of chicken is also adjusted according to my family’s requirements. It tastes great with parathas (Indian Flat bread).

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken (you can use a whole chicken cut into small pieces or leg or thigh pieces)
• 1 large onion sliced finely
• 1 medium tomato chopped finely
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup fresh grated coconut
• 2-3 tbsp cooking oil or ghee
• Chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Chicken marinade:

• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp red chili powder or Paprika
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• ½ tsp salt

Spice mixture:

• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 aniseed stars
• 2 dry red chilies
• ½ " piece of cinnamon
• 2-3 green cardamom pods
• 4-5 cloves
• 8-10 peppercorns

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients of the marinade with the chicken and keep aside for 2 hours.
• Heat a heavy pan or skillet on a medium flame and roast the ingredients of spice mixture for 3-4 minutes (do not burn the spices). Remove from flame and allow to cool. Grind the mixture into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
• In another deep pan, heat the oil and add the curry leaves. When they stop spluttering, add the sliced onions and fry till they are light brown.
• Add ginger garlic paste and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and little salt; stir fry till tomato becomes pulpy.
• Add the chicken and grated coconut, cover, and simmer till chicken is tender.
• When the chicken is done add garam masala powder and lime juice; mix well and simmer for another 2 minutes. Turn off the flame and take out in a serving dish.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Do You Know?

Chettinad is a region of the Sivaganga district of southern Tamil Nadu state, India. Chettinad is well known for its Chettinad cuisine, Mansions, and Temples. It is known for a variety of dishes which are popular for special style of cooking. Chettinad Chicken is the king of all of them.

In Chettinad food, the most important spices are marathi mokku (dried flower pods), anasipoo (star aniseed) and kalpasi (dried bark). In addition, tamarind, whole red chillies and saunf (Fennel seeds) are also used along with fragrant and aromatic spices such as black peppercorns, star anise, fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves… all of which are ground fresh daily just before use.