Chettinad Chicken

Chettinad Chicken is an amazing, packed with robust flavours and a spicy dish from Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India.

Chettinad cuisine is known for its colourful, spicy and plethora of recipes such as Iddiyappam , Kuzhambu and Varuval. Chettinad Chicken is one of the most famous dishes from this cuisine. It goes really well with just plain steamed rice or parathas (flatbreads). The melange of ghee, yoghurt, the toasted spices and fresh coconut takes this humble dish to an exotic level.

Chettinad cuisine comes from Chettiar Community who were traders, merchants and bankers. They used to do the food trade between India, Sri Lanka and South East Asia, on account of that you can see the huge similarities between these cuisines. The Chettiar community had a big emphasis on the culinary traditions as a result you can find many delicious recipes in their ancient literature.

Anyway getting back to the recipe, this Chettinad Chicken I have been making from a long time and my husband really enjoys this dish. Back in Tokyo in one of my cooking classes this was a big hit too.

This is my version of the Chettinad Chicken and everyone loves it.
Do give this recipe a try, I am sure you will love it!

Ingredients :

• 700 g chicken leg with bone or boneless
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 3 tbsp coconut milk
• 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2-3 red chillies
• ¼ cup water if needed
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Salt to taste

Coconut Paste:

• 3-4 garlic cloves
• ½ inch ginger
• 2 black and green cardamom pods
• 10 cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 10 curry leaves
• 2 tsp poppy seeds
• 3-4 red chillies (dried)
• 1 tbsp fresh or dry grated coconut

Instructions:
In a pan heat oil and add all the ingredients listed under coconut paste, fry for 5 minutes. Let it cool down, make a fine paste in a blender.
Marinate the chicken in turmeric powder, tamarind paste, coconut milk, coconut oil, ginger and garlic paste and lemon juice for at least 1 hour.
In a pan heat coconut oil, add in the mustard seeds, red chillies and the ground paste and fry for 5-7 minutes.
Add the marinated chicken and keep frying it till it’s completely cooked. Add some water if it’s too dry. In the end add ghee to finish the dish.
Garnish with coriander and serve as an appetiser or as a side dish.