Fiery Chettinad Chicken Curry

This fiery chettinad chicken curry has aromatic flavors of freshly ground, homemade spice blend (chettinad masala), onion and tomatoes. It is unapologetically spiced, beautifully straightforward and absolutely flavor-packed. If you love rustic, traditional South Indian-style chicken curries with heat and depth, this one's going to hit all the right notes!

Chettinad Chicken is a spicy chicken curry from the chettinad region of Tamil Nadu. There are two popular variations of this dish-dry or with a rich gravy. I make the latter. It pairs beautifully with steamed basmati rice or ghee rice.

Chettinad Chicken is not for the faint-hearted. It's known for its serious heat. But if you enjoy a spicy, full-bodied chicken curry, you'll want to make this.

I didn't grow up eating South Indian chicken dishes in my North Indian home, but over the years I've picked up a few, thanks to cookbooks, YouTube, and my husband, who loves them. This chettinad chicken has become a regular in our kitchen.

My Recipe

• Traditional chettinad pastes use a dry chili called Salem Gundu chillies. Salem Gundu chillies are known for their unqiue heat and the rich red color. I dont find them here so I use a combination of dried and ground kashmiri red chillies for color, and hot red chilli powder for that signature kick.
• Avoid using onion or tomato paste/puree. We want texture in the masala. The chopped onions and tomatoes need to cook down with the chicken and give the gravy body and depth. Don't use store bought ginger garlic pastes since they often taste acidic and will interfere with the chettinad paste that you will make.
• Ideally, you should use fresh coconut for the chettinad spice paste, for it gives the best flavor and texture. On good days, when I've remembered to stock up, I use frozen coconut from the freezer instead. Some versions of the recipe call for coconut milk, but I stick to desiccated coconut since it's always in my pantry. I will divert you to chicken curry with coconut milk if you want to use coconut milk.

Ingredients

Which Chicken cut is the best

To get authentic flavors and textures, use bone in chicken, because the bones add so much flavor to the gravy and hold up well during long cooking.

That said, if you prefer boneless chicken, go with skinless boneless thighs. Just don't cut them too small, about 2 to 2.5 inch pieces work best. Chicken shrinks considerably during long cooking and larger pieces won't dry out while simmering in the gravy.

I usually take the middle route, and it works great for us. I use a mix of bone-in chicken and boneless thighs because my husband isn't a fan of bone-in chicken.

Homemade Chettinad Masala

The process of making Chettinad Chicken starts with a robust spice paste. You can absolutely use your favorite store-bought blend, but if you can spare an extra 10-12 minutes to make a fresh masala, it'll make a huge difference in the flavor, I promise.

It starts with dry toasting heady Indian spices like cinnamon, black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, fennel seeds, cumin, poppy seeds, and coriander seeds, along with dry chilies, coconut (fresh or frozen) and dried red chillies. Then you grind the roasted spices with water into a thick, nutty paste. The aroma alone is worth the effort.

How To Make Chicken Chettinad

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, marinate the chicken in lime juice, red chili powder and salt. Let stand while you make the masala.

2. In a heavy-bottomed pan or cast iron skillet, dry roast the dried chillies and whole spices on low heat. When they smell toasty and deepen in color, add the desiccated coconut and stir constantly. Coconut can burn fast, so keep the flame low. Once a few coconut shreds turn golden, take everything off the heat and transfer to a plate. Let it cool slightly. 

Note - If you are using fresh coconut, no need to toast it, simply grind with spices.

3. Add the roasted spices to a grinder and grind with a little water. The paste doesn't need to be super smooth. Your fresh homemade chettinad masala is ready!
4. Transfer the masala to a bowl, then use the same grinder jar (no need to wash) to crush tomatoes.

Make the Chettinad Chicken Gravy

5. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and temper with whole spices.
6. Add onions and fry on medium-low heat until nicely browned, about 7-10 minutes. This step adds great flavor and color to the gravy, so don't rush it.

5. Next, add garlic paste, ginger, turmeric, and red chili powder. Fry for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell disappears. Add tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes or until oil starts to separate.
6. Next, add chicken, chettinad masala thht we prepared, salt, and curry leaves. Fry the chicken with spice paste and onions on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This bhunai (frying with masala) is a key step for a flavorful curry, please don't skip.

5. Once the chicken is no more pink, pour just enough hot water to cover it. Remember, the chicken will release its own juices, so don't add too much.
6. Cover and cook for 12-18 minutes until chicken is done. Timing depends on the type of chicken you use.

7. Turn off the heat, finish the curry with more lime juice.Let the curry rest for 20-30 minutes to deepen the flavors. Garnish with cilantro if you like. Serve warm with indian flatbreads or with rice dishes.

Recipe Tips

1. Marination - If you plan ahead, rub the chicken with half of the ground chettinad masala and let marinate for few hours or overnight. This will make a deeply flavorful curry. 
2. Spice level - You could reduce the chilies in chettinad masala as per your preference. Don't make it too mild for then the true essence of the curry is lost.
3. If you have stone flower spice (dagga phool/kalapasi) in your pantry, please use it while making the chettinad masala for even more authentic preparation. 
4. Use Shallots - Traditional chettinad chicken is cooked with shallots, use those if you wish. I use red onions and those work fine.