Name: Chicken Chettinad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: FOR THE SPICE BLEND; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 1 tbsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 1 tbsp poppy seeds; 5 dry red chillies; 1 x 2.5cm (1 inch) cinnamon stick; 3 green cardamom pods, seeds only; 2 cloves; 75g grated fresh coconut; FOR THE CURRY; 3 tbsp rapeseed (canola) or coconut oil; 3 star anise; 20 fresh or frozen curry leaves; 2 red onions, finely chopped; 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste; 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 400ml (14 oz) chopped tinned (canned) tomatoes; 1 kg (2 lbs) bone in chicken thighs, skin removed; Salt to taste; 2 limes quartered; 4 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped

Jump to Recipe

Spicy and delicious… chicken Chettinad is a famous curry from southern India.

There are many recipes for chicken Chettinad and I have worked my way through a lot of them. Chicken Chettinad is a curry full of south Indian flavours and can be made really spicy or mild. This recipe is medium heat but you can always adjust to taste.

You will also find links to some hugely popular side dishes to serve with your chicken Chettinad.

What is Chicken Chettinad?

Chicken Chettinad is one of the most popular chicken curries from Tamil Nadu in southern India. Recipes vary greatly but the spicing is usually quite similar. Some contain a lot of tomatoes, giving the curry a rich flavour and bright red colour. Others call for less tomato and at times, a little yoghurt, giving the curry a creamier appearance.

I like the tomato version which is what you are going to get here. The spices used are usually quite similar as these are the spices needed for that chicken Chettinad flavour. There are so many delicious flavours in this simple curry you can enjoy it with nothing else but basmati white rice.

What do you serve chicken Chettinad with?

If you'd like to make this curry into a feast, you've come to the right place. You could just go for a side of Basmati rice or mushroom fried rice.

If you'd like to make naans, why not try one of these? Instant naans, Peshwari naans, stove top naans, keema naans, garlic naans, tandoor naans (if you have a tandoor oven), or if you're cooking outdoors, karahi naans.

Want to start your chicken Chettinad meal off with a bang? How about fried shop bought poppadoms or if you're feeling ambitious, make your own poppadoms from scratch and serve them with coriander chutney, red onion chutney, and/or tamarind chutney.

Working ahead…

You can definitely work ahead if it is more convenient. Although I recommend preparing the spice blend on the day you are cooking the curry, you could make it in advance with little loss of flavour.

As with most curries, chicken Chettinad benefits from cooking early. You can prepare this curry a day or two in advance and then just heat it up to serve. The flavours will develop and the curry will be even better.

Which cut of chicken?

You could use bone in thighs just as I have recommended in the recipe. Thigh meat has the best flavour and it is also cheaper than chicken breast meat.

If you prefer, you could dice your chicken instead of cooking it on the bone. Cooking the curry with bone-in chicken thighs will produce a richer flavour though.

Do I have to use fresh grated coconut in the spice blend?

Using fresh coconut is how it’s done at the best restaurants in Chettinad. You could, however cheat and use desiccated coconut. The flavour will still be amazing.

How spicy is chicken Chettinad?

It's as spicy as you want to make it. Chicken Chettinad is usually quite spicy. They do love their chillies there!

In the following recipe, you add dried chillies to the spice blend and also add Kashmiri chilli powder to the sauce. You can and should reduce the amount of chilli if you are at all concerned it will be too spicy.

You can always add more chilli powder to taste at the end of cooking should you decide you want more spice. Just be sure to cook it for a few minutes in the sauce before serving.

Can I use dried curry leaves in this curry?

No! One of the things that makes Chicken Chettinad so good is the variety of fresh flavour. Dried curry leaves have very little flavour and should be avoided.

You can purchase fresh curry leaves and freeze them though with little loss of flavour. Therefore, I recommend purchase a lot and freezing for when you want to next make a delicious chicken Chettinad curry.

Pro Tips...

If using fresh coconut, be sure to toast it until golden brown. This will reduce the amount of moisture and also give it a deeper flavour
Be sure to cook the curry covered as stated in the recipe. This too will build the flavours of the sauce.
Watch for the oil to rise to the top at the end of cooking. When oil appears on top, the curry is ready and the oil has done it's job of breaking down the sauce. This can be skimmed off if you wish.

Step by step photos of Chicken Chettinad.

Ingredients for chicken Chettinad — Gather all the ingredients together before you start cooking. It's a lot easier.

Toasting spices for the spice blend. — Toast the spices for the spice blend over a medium heat until warm to the touch and fragrant. Be sure to stir often and take off the heat before they begin to smoke.

Toasting the coconut. — You want to toast the fresh, grated coconut until fragrant and turning a light brown.

Grinding the spices and coconut. — Grind the toasted spices first and then add the toasted coconut. Grind to a fine powder.

Infusing spices and curry leaves into the oil. — Coat the bottom of a pan with the oil and add the star anise. Then add the curry leaves. I though a bit more cinnamon in too because I like it.

Frying onions and garlic and ginger paste. — Fry the onions until golden brown. Then stir in the garlic and ginger paste.

Adding chopped tomatoes to the pan. — Stir in the chopped tomatoes and bring to a simmer over a medium-high heat.

Adding the ground spices and coconut to the sauce. — Stir in the ground spices and coconut. Your sauce will become quite dry so add a little water. I usually add about 250ml (1 cup).

About that chicken Chettinad spice blend...

You might thing it looks like a lot of spices being added. Remember that a lot of that is coconut.

This is what makes a delicious chicken Chettinad so good!

Adding the chicken to the sauce. — Stir the spice blend into the sauce and add a little water. Then add the chicken. You want enough liquid to just cover the chicken. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Finished chicken Chettinad — After 20 minutes, remove the lid and your curry will look something like this. Squeeze in the lime juice and season with salt. Cook down to preference.

Yield: 4