Chettinad Chicken Recipe

Recipe for spicy Chettinad Chicken Masala (dry recipe). Recipe with step by step pictures.

Chettinad chicken is a favorite with everyone. What makes it so unique is the usage of ingredients like gundu chillies, kalpasi (stone flower) and Indian shallots. The masalas are robust and spicy. Traditionally, tomatoes are not used in the recipe. Usually served with rice.

Here is how to do Chettinad Chicken Recipe First, We will make a chettinad masala paste for the recipe. In Chettinad cuisine, dry red chilli variety called the “gundu” is predominantly used. If you cannot source gundu, regular long chillies will work too! The flavour of gundu chillies is very unique. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs5kXPkBJAI/

Here is what you will need for making the chettinad spice masala.

Grind the chettinad spice masala ingredients with half a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the kalpasi (stone flower) and cinnamon. Kalpasi – Kal means rock and Pasi means green moss. Its also called as stone flower. Kalpasi is nothing but a unique variety of moss that usually grows on rocks in a moist place. They are carefully harvested and dried and used in cooking. It imparts a very earthy aroma to the dish.

Add in a handful of curry leaves. Use curry leaves generously.

Add in the chopped shallots (small onions) and saute for five minutes.

Add in the ground masala paste. Saute for five minutes.

Add in the salt and turmeric powder.

Add in the chicken and a cup of water. I like to use chicken in bone for this recipe. The gelatinous juices from the bones that release while cooking are very flavourful. When making any south Indian curry, make sure to use chicken in bone.

Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on a low flame for 25 minutes. Saute once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom.

Once the chicken is well cooked, remove the chicken pieces to a plate and allow the gravy to thicken.

Allow the gravy to become thick. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Let the gravy thicken to a thick masala consistency.

Add back the chicken and mix well so the masalas coat the chicken evenly. Roast the chicken for a couple of minutes.

Chettinad chicken is ready. Serve with rice.

For the chettinad chicken masala

• 5 - 6 gundu chillies (use less if you want a less spicy dish)
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoon black pepper (use less if you want a less spicy dish)
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Other ingredients

• 2 tablespoon Indian sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• a big pinch of kalpasi
• 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
• 5 sprigs curry leaves
• 1.5 cups Indian shallots (small onions), chopped (around 250 grams )
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 500 grams chicken in bone

1. Grind the chettinad chicken masala ingredients with half a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the kalpasi (stone flower) and cinnamon. Add in a handful of curry leaves.
3. Add in the chopped shallots (small onions) and saute for five minutes.
4. Add in the ground masala paste. Saute for five minutes.
5. Add in the salt and turmeric powder.
6. Add in the chicken and a cup of water.
7. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on a low flame for 25 minutes. Saute once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom.
8. Once the chicken is well cooked, remove the chicken pieces to a plate and allow the gravy to thicken.
9. Allow the gravy to become thick. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
10. Let the gravy thicken to a thick masala consistency.
11. Add back the chicken and mix well so the masalas coat the chicken evenly. Roast the chicken for a couple of minutes.
12. Chettinad chicken is ready. Serve with rice.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: Side dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

For the chettinad chicken masala

• 5 - 6 gundu chillies (use less if you want a less spicy dish)
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoon black pepper (use less if you want a less spicy dish)
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Other ingredients

• 2 tablespoon Indian sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• a big pinch of kalpasi
• 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
• 5 sprigs curry leaves
• 1.5 cups Indian shallots (small onions), chopped (around 250 grams )
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 500 grams chicken in bone

1. Grind the chettinad chicken masala ingredients with half a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the kalpasi (stone flower) and cinnamon. Add in a handful of curry leaves.
3. Add in the chopped shallots (small onions) and saute for five minutes.
4. Add in the ground masala paste. Saute for five minutes.
5. Add in the salt and turmeric powder.
6. Add in the chicken and a cup of water.
7. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on a low flame for 25 minutes. Saute once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom.
8. Once the chicken is well cooked, remove the chicken pieces to a plate and allow the gravy to thicken.
9. Allow the gravy to become thick. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
10. Let the gravy thicken to a thick masala consistency.
11. Add back the chicken and mix well so the masalas coat the chicken evenly. Roast the chicken for a couple of minutes.
12. Chettinad chicken is ready. Serve with rice.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: Side dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/chettinad-chicken-recipe/

Recipe for sutta kathirikkai chutney / thogayal – smoked eggplant chutney recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures.

This is a fantastic chutney that goes well with idli and dosa. Eggplants are smoked and ground to a chutney along with lentils and coconut. This recipe is from my friend Nithya. Here is how to do sutta kathirikkai chutney – smoked eggplant chutney.

Use one big Eggplant for this recipe. I have used two today as the eggplants I had were really small in size. We will need about 200 – 250 grams of eggplant in total. Here is how to smoke the eggplant. Stove Top: Apply a teaspoon oil on the eggplant. Place the eggplant on fire and roast the eggplant for 6-7 minutes turning the eggplant frequently with tongs. Char the Eggplant well. The eggplant should be really soft after the 6-7 minutes of charring.

Once the skin is blackened, remove the eggplant and place it in a bowl. Wash the eggplant in water to remove the blackened skin.

Set aside on a plate. The eggplant will start to leave juices and thats fine.

Heat a teaspoon of peanut oil in a pan and add in the urad dal and chana dal. Once the dal is slightly golden, add in the dried red chillies, tamarind and curry leaves.

Saute for a few seconds. Remove the fried mixture and set aside on a plate to cool.

In the same kadai, add in a teaspoon of oil and add in the chopped small onions (Indian shallots). Add in the salt and saute for five minutes till golden.

Add in the fresh shredded coconut and saute for a minute. Remove and set aside on a plate to cool.

Take a mixie jar and add in the fried lentil mixture and the onion-coconut mixture. Sprinkle little water and grind to a coarse paste.

Once the mixture is ground, add in the eggplant along with its juices. Do not add any water as the chutney will become very thin.

Pulse for a few seconds. You do not want to grind for a long time after adding the eggplant. The seeds from the eggplant, if ground fine will taste bitter. So after adding the eggplant, just pulse for a few seconds until combined.

The chutney is ready. Serve with idli or dosa.

• 250 grams eggplant
• 3 teaspoon peanut oil
• 2 teaspoon urad dal
• 2 teaspoon chana dal
• 4 dried chillies (use less or more depending on your taste)
• 1 small piece (teaspoon size) tamarind
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped small onions (Indian shallots)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup fresh shredded coconut

1. Apply some oil on the eggplant. Place the eggplant on fire and roast the eggplant for 6-7 minutes turning the eggplant frequently with tongs. Char the Eggplant well. Once the skin is blackened, remove the eggplant and place it in a bowl. Wash the eggplant in water to remove the blackened skin. Set aside on a plate. The eggplant will start to leave juices and thats fine.
2. Heat a teaspoon of peanut oil in a pan and add in the urad dal and chana dal. Once the dal is slightly golden, add in the dried red chillies, tamarind and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds. Remove the fried mixture and set aside on a plate to cool.
3. In the same kadai, add in a teaspoon of oil and add in the chopped small onions (Indian shallots). Add in the salt and saute for five minutes till golden.
4. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and saute for a minute. Remove and set aside on a plate to cool.
5. Take a mixie jar and add in the fried lentil mixture and the onion-coconut mixture. Sprinkle little water and grind to a coarse paste. Once the mixture is ground, add in the eggplant along with its juices. Do not add any water as the chutney will become very thin.
6. Pulse for a few seconds. You do not want to grind for a long time after adding the eggplant. The seeds from the eggplant, if ground fine will taste bitter. So after adding the eggplant, just pulse for a few seconds until combined.
7. The chutney is ready. Serve with idli or dosa.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Chutney
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu