Chicken Chettinad Gravy Recipe (2024)

Chicken Chettinad is a spicy chicken gravy from the Chettinad region. This is South India's most popular chicken dish cooked in Chettinad masalas. Chettinad chicken gravy is the most ordered dish in restaurants and popular dish all over south india. Tender pieces of chicken cooked in aromatic Chettinad spices. This is an Authentic Chettinad chicken dish with taste, flavour and colour. This goes well with rice, ghee rice, roti or paratha.

Pin

Chicken Chettinad

This is the most popular chicken curry, how did i stayed away these long without posting it in my blog. Now i have found that and immediately made it and took pictures of it to post here. I have made this so many time, it is a tasty dish, different from the one which you get in restaurants. In my place i couldn't find a good chettinad chicken, every thing tasted either too spicy and not much flavourful.

About Chicken Chettinad

Chettinad chicken gravy is a popular chicken dish all over south india. Chicken chettinad is a classic dish from the chettinad cuisine. It consists of chicken cooked in, turmeric and a paste of red chillies, kalpasi, coconut, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black pepper, onions, ginger, garlic and gingelly oil.

This curry has lots of freshly roasted spices and coconut which is then ground to a fine paste and added it to the chicken. Your total house will smell heavenly when you make this. And i cooked the chicken in pressure cooker, if you don't have one, just make this in a kadai and simmer it for a long time till the chicken is cooked.

Mean while Check out my another roasted spiced chicken curry which is a kadai chicken, chettinad chicken roast which is a dry chicken dish.

More Curry Recipes

• Nagercoil Chicken Curry
• Chettinad Mutton Curry
• Lamb Vindaloo

Chicken Chettinad Spices

Pin

• Coriander seeds - use whole coriander leaves which adds aroma and thickness to the curry.
• Dry Red Chillies - you can use a combination of regular red chillies & kashmiri red chillies for colour.
• Cardamom - add few cardamom for flavour.
• Cloves - adds a peppery freshness.
• Cinnamon - adds the warmth the curry needs.
• Star Anise - a little goes a long way
• Black Stone Flower - one of the must add spice in chettinad dishes.
• Fennel & Cumin Seeds - adds warm and fresh taste in oil.
• Coconut - coconut is roasted and made into paste which helps with the thickness.

Chicken Chettinad Ingredients

Pin

Onions - sliced onions is used in this curry. You can add peeled shallots which is left whole or chopped.

Tomatoes - it adds sweetness and tangyness to the diash.

Ginger & Garlic - equal amount of ginger, garlic is made into paste.

Oil - you can use coconut oil or gingelly oil in chettinad chicken.

Garnish - curry leaves and coriander leaves is added in curry.

Pin

Expert Tips

• You can use any cuts of chicken. But it is best to use chicken with bones for maximum flavour.
• You can reduce the spice level to your preference.
• Chillies and pepper can be adjusted to taste.
• Instead of cooking in pressure cooker, you can cook them in a kadai or pot.
• The timing depends on the size of the chicken.
• You can use country chicken (nattu kozhi) instead of normal chicken.

Pin

How to Make Chicken Chettinad (Stepwise Pictures)

Marinating Chicken

1)Take chicken in a bowl. I used whole chicken which is cut into small pieces. Season the chicken generously with salt.

Pin

2)Add in turmeric powder and lemon juice in the chicken.

Pin

3)You can add some ginger and garlic paste to the chicken at this point. Mix the chicken really well and leave it to marinate for 30 minutes.

Pin

Making Chettinad Masala

4)Take all the whole spices in a dry pan. Roast on very low heat for 5 to 6 minutes till lightly toasted and golden. Keep mixing.

Pin

5)Once the spices are well roasted. Add in grated coconut, you can use fresh coconut or dried coconut. Stir fry the coconut with the masala till light golden. The moisture should dry and the coconut should get lightly toasted.

Pin

6)Once the whole spices and coconut is well toasted. Allow the mixture to cool completely.

Pin

7)Take the coconut and spices in a blender, add little water at a time and make it into a thick smooth paste. This is your chettinad masala.

Pin

Cooking Chicken

8)I used a pressure cooker to make the curry. You can use a regular kadai or cooking pot. Heat generous amount of oil in the pressure cooker. Add in sliced onions and saute till light golden.

Pin

9)Add in ginger garlic paste and mix well. Cook this for few minutes till aromatic.

Pin

10)Add a handful of curry leaves and mix.

Pin

11)Add in the marinated chicken and stir fry with the onions till it is seared.

Pin

12)Add in chopped tomatoes. Mix well.

Pin

13) Cover and pressure cook until chicken is cooked.

Pin

14)Once the pressure is released, open the lid and check whether the chicken is cooked or not.

Pin

Making Chicken Chettinad Gravy

15)Transfer the cooked chicken in a large kadai with all the juices collected in the cooker. If you need to add more water, you can add now. Because once you add the masala the curry will get thick.

Pin

16)Add the chicken chettinad masala.

Pin

17)Mix well. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.

Pin

18)Cover and cook on low heat till the gravy is thick and oil separates on top.

Pin

19)Add in coriander leaves and mix.

Pin

20)Serve

Pin

Instant Pot Chettinad Chicken

• Marinate chicken for 20 mins.
• Heat instant pot in saute mode. Make the chettinad masala. Dry roast all the spices except coconut in a kadai till it turns golden. once it turn golden add in coconut and roast till the coconut turns light golden. Remove them to a mixer and grind them to a smooth paste.
• Heat oil in the instant pot, add in onions and saute till it turns soft. Add in curry leaves and ginger garlic paste. Saute for a min. Marinated chicken is added. Add in cubed tomatoes and mix well.
• Cover the instant pot and set it to pressure cook mode and set for 10 mins. Once the timer goes off. let the pressure release by itself.
• Open the instant pot, add the ground masala and mix well. Cook on low for 5 mins. Add in coriander leaves and mix.

Chettinad Chicken Gravy - FAQ

What is chettinad sauce made of?

chettinad cuisine has lots of spices like red chillies, kalpasi, coconut, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black pepper, onions, ginger, garlic and gingelly oil.

Is chettinad cuisine spicy?

it is normally very flavourful with variety of spices. most of the dishes are normally little on the spicier side. if you are making at home, you can adjust the spice level to your taste.

More Authentic Chettinad Recipes

📖 Recipe Card

If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[emailprotected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.

Follow me onInstagram,Facebook,Pinterest ,Youtube andTwitter for more Yummy Tummy inspiration.

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR ANYTHING FROM YUMMY TUMMY, MAKE SURE TO POST IT AND TAG ME SO I CAN SEE ALL OF YOUR CREATIONS!! #YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI AND @YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI ON INSTAGRAM!

More Chicken Recipes