Chicken Chettinad
It is amazing to keep trying new recipes in life and I am quite happy with the way this recipe turned out. This is a Main Course recipe and goes well with Phulkas, Malabar Parathas and also Rice. I have eaten this dish at restaurants many times and felt the need of trying it at home. So without much further ado, let's get going !!
Chicken Chettinad
Ingredients:- Whole Chicken - 1 Kg. Canola Oil - 3 Tbsp (Because it's healthier than other oils) Onions (large) - 3 Tomatoes (medium) - 4 Fresh Curry Leaves - 4 - 5 sprigs Bay leaf - 1
For Marination:- Chilli Powder (Kashmiri) - 1 Tbsp Chilli Powder - 1 Tsp Turmeric - 1 Tsp Yogurt - 200 Gms Ginger Garlic paste - 2 Tbsp Salt - As per taste
Juice of 1 whole lemon
To be ground into powder:- Desiccated Coconut (grated) - 1/2 cup Poppy seeds - 2 Tbsp Coriander Seeds - 2 Tbsp Fennel Seeds - 2 Tsp Cumin Seeds - 1Tsp Dry Red Chillies (hot ones) - 12 - 15 / or as per your spice threshold Pepper Corns - 10 - 15 (as per your spice threshold) Green Cardamoms - 6 Cloves - 8 Cinnamon stick - 2 inch
Preparation:-
1. Clean the chicken and cut it into medium sized pieces. (I used fresh halal chicken as the meat of fresh chicken is tender. Even frozen ones will do as we are anyways using yogurt in the marination to make the chicken tender.)
2. Now take place the chicken pieces in a mixing bowl and add turmeric, Kashmiri mirch powder, chili powder, ginger garlic paste, yogurt and salt to it. Mix the entire ingredients ensuring the chicken pieces are well coated in the marination. Keep this marinated chicken for at least 2 hrs in your refrigerator and let the marination work its magic on your chicken.
3. Now on a nonstick pan roast, all the ingredients mentioned to be roast into powder. Ensure you keep the flame on low so as to avoid burning of the masala. Roast coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cardamoms, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, dry red chilies poppy seeds and transfer them to a plate to cool. Add desiccated coconut to the pan now and roast it for a min or two till you get the aroma of the coconut.
4. In the meanwhile boil some water. Make small slits in the skin of the tomatoes. Once the water boils add them to this boiling water and boil for another 2 mins.
5. Turn off the flame and transfer this vessel under running water to cool the tomatoes down. Peel the skin of the tomatoes and cut the tomatoes coarsely.
6. Transfer the roasted masala along with the desiccated coconut to a blender once the mixture cools down and blend it to a nice smooth powder.
7. Put this roast powder into a small bowl and cover it with a lid to ensure the aroma is contained.
8. Add the coarsely chopped tomatoes to the blender and beat it to a smooth puree.
The Grand Finale:-
1. Heat canola oil in a shallow pan and add the bay leaf to it. Now add the onions and fry it till the onions turn translucent.
2. Now add the marinated chicken to the pan and mix it with the onions for 5 mins.
3. Now add the tomato puree, turmeric, salt, and chili powder. Mix well and cook till oil begins to separate.
4. Now add the roast masala powder along with some fresh curry leaves and cook for another 2 - 3 mins.
5. Now its time to add some hot water to the chicken. (add water as per your desired consistency of the gravy). Cover and cook till the chicken is tender. Note: Hot water is added to ensure the chicken pieces remain soft.
6. Remove the lid and check if the consistency of the gravy is as desired. Else cook for some more time.
7. As the chicken gravy is cooking to completion, take a small pan and add some oil. Once the oil is hot add some good amount of curry leaves to it and fry it for a min. Transfer these fried curry leaves to the chicken gravy and turn of the flame.
Delicious Chicken Chettinad is ready.
Enjoy this dish with some phulkas, Malabar parathas or some steamed rice.
Do definitely try this dish at home. I look forward to reading your valuable comments and feedback about this dish.
P.S.:- In the above pictures you will see me cooking in 2 pans initially. That is because the quantity of chicken I made was 3 Kgs as I had a small family get-together at my place and the recipe ingredients given above are for 1 Kg.