Chettinad Chicken gravy is a popular chicken dish all over India, especially in southern India. This dish has lots of freshly roasted spices and coconut which is then ground to a fine paste and added to the chicken.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Chicken with bones – 2 kgs.  Cleaned and washed with water.
  • Shallots (Sambaar Onions) – 600 gms.  Roughly chopped.
  • Tomatoes – 6 medium size.  Grind it and make a puree of tomatoes.
  • Coriander Leaves (Dhaniya patta) – 1 cup. Finely chopped.
  • Cooking Oil – 6 tbs.
  • Fresh Coconut – Half coconut of large size.  Roughly chopped.
  • Ginger (Adrak) – 2 inch size.  Roughly chopped.
  • Garlic (Lassun) – 20 cloves. Roughly chopped.
  • Ginger / Garlic paste – One and half tsp.
  • Lime – One and half lime juice.
  • Turmeric (Haldi) powder – 1 tsp.
  • Coriander (Dhaniya) seeds – 2 tsp.
  • Bay Leaves (Tej Patta) – 3 medium size.
  • Kashmiri Red Chili – 18 pieces.
  • Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi) – 2 pieces.
  • Green Cardamom (Choti Elaichi) – 8 pieces.
  • Curry Leaves (Kadipatta) – 25 leaves.
  • Star Anise (Chakri Phool) – 3 pieces.
  • Cloves (Lawang) – 10 pieces.
  • Stone Flower (Dagad Phool) – 8 pieces.
  • Cumin (Jeera) seeds – 2 tsp.
  • Fennel (Soaf) seeds – 2 tsp.
  • Cinnamon Stick (Dal Chini) – 4 inch size.
  • Black Peppercorn (Kaali Miri) – One and half tsp.
  • Mace (Javitri) – 2 petals.
  • Salt to taste.

Method:

  • Take a large mixing bowl.  Add chicken to it.  Add ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp of salt, one and half lime juice, half tsp of haldi powder.  Mix it well.  Properly coat this marinate on chicken.  Allow it to marinate for at least one hour.
  • Take a flat pan and heat it up on medium flame.
  • Add kaali miri, star anise, lawang, mace, badi elaichi, choti elaichi and dry roast it on medium flame until you get nice aroma of these spices.  Keep stirring it.
  • Add dhaniya seeds, 1 tsp jeera seeds, 1 tsp soaf, 2 inch size of cinnamon stick, bay leaves, 4 pieces of stone flower and mix it well and roast it along with above ingredients until you get nice aroma.  Donot brown these spices.
  • Remove it on a plate.
  • In the same flat pan, add kadipatta and roast it until you get nice aroma.  Transfer it to the same plate.
  • Add dried kashmiri red chilies and roast it on medium flame until you get nice aroma.  Transfer it to the same plate.
  • Add roughly chopped ginger and garlic to the hot pan and dry roast until you see charred mark on them.  Remove it in the same plate.
  • Add roughly chopped coconut and dry roast it on medium flame until you see charred mark on them.  Remove it in the same plate.
  • Add half tsp of haldi powder on the same plate.  Mix all the ingredients properly.  Allow it to cool down nicely.
  • Add 3 tbs of cooking oil, and grind the above roasted spices in to a fine paste by adding required water in a mixer grinder.
  • Take a large kadai and heat it up.  Add remaining cooking oil and heat it up.
  • Add remaining cinnamon stick, jeera seeds, soaf and dagad phool in to the hot oil.  Allow it to crackle.
  • Add chopped shallots and stir it properly.  Add curry leaves and mix it.
  • Fry the onions until it becomes golden brown.  Fry on high flame and continuously keep stirring it to prevent it from burning.
  • Add tomato puree and fry it on high flame until tomato cooks properly. 
  • Add blended spice paste and mix it well.  Fry this spice/masala paste on high flame and continuously keep stirring it to prevent it from burning.  Fry it until it reduces and you see oil coming up to the surface.
  • Add marinated chicken and mix it well.  Add sufficient amount of water to make the gravy thick.  Add salt to taste.  Mix it and cover it with a lid.
  • Reduce the flame to minimum or low and cook it from around 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked to perfection.
  • Add finely chopped coriander leaves and mix it.  Turn off the flame.
  • Chettinad Chicken is ready to be served with steamed rice or chappati.
  • Happy Eating.