This indian chicken curry recipe is one you have to try! It’s such a lovely dish. The honey and spices work together to create a delicious curry that you are unlikely to find at any neighbourhood curry house.
In fact, the end curry tastes almost Chinese. Chinese cuisine has had a big influence on modern Indian food.
It also takes about 40 minutes to make so it would be difficult to serve in a busy restaurant. Sometimes I cook the Chettinad sauce until it is almost dry and then slap the chicken on a hot barbecue just to blacken the edges.
No need to do that though. Chettinad chicken is normally cooked in a wok or karahi and then served simply with white rice which is what I’ve done here.
Make this Indian chicken curry your own.
Your Chettinad curry will be just as authentic if you adjust the ingredients to taste. I have give a good guide on the way I like to make it but I suggest tasting as you cook.
Add more of ingredients you love and less of those you don’t to make the perfect curry for you.
It will still be a very authentic Indian chicken curry recipe even if you adjust to your own taste. Just ensure you follow the cooking techniques exactly.
I have a lot of Indian chicken curry recipes on my blog. Here are a few others you might like to try.
Cumin (jeera) Chicken
Goan Xacutti Chicken Curry
Bengali Chicken Curry
International & UK Orders
A Super-Duper Chettinad Chicken Curry

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee or rapeseed (canola) oil
- 1 three inch piece of cassia bark or cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 10 shallots - finely chopped
- 20 curry leaves
- 8 boneless chicken thighs - skinned and cut in half
- 2 tablespoons garlic and ginger paste
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the ghee/oil in a large frying pan or wok.
- When bubbling, throw in the fennel seeds and cassia bark and fry for about a minute.
- Add the curry leaves and chopped shallots and fry until the shallots are soft and translucent - about two minutes.
- In go the chicken pieces and the remaining spices. Stir it all up to combine before adding the ginger and garlic paste and the honey.
- Fry for about five minutes until the chicken is 80% cooked.
- Add about 125ml of water or chicken stock to the pan and simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is tender coated with the think honey sauce.
- Serve immediately with white rice.
Steve
Monday 20th of September 2021
This is an interesting recipe, as it is nothing at all like the Chicken Chettinad dishes I've had in various locations around the United States (Seattle, LA, & Chicago specifically). It's a fairly spicy (as in hot) dish driven by black pepper, featuring whole brown mustard seeds and has a rust-red color from turmeric plus tomatoes.
Dan Toombs
Friday 24th of September 2021
Sounds like the recipe differs a bit from country to country. I hope you enjoy mine. Thanks Dan