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South Indian · Indian

Chettinad chicken curry

Non-vegetarian

A robust Tamil chicken curry with a freshly roasted masala of black pepper, fennel, dried chilli, star anise and coconut, cooked with shallots, tomato and curry leaves.

Chettinad chicken curry is a South Indian curry, ready in about 1 hour 5 minutes and made with chicken thigh and black pepper. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Close-up of spicy Indian chicken curry garnished with cilantro.
Photo: Bilal Moazzam / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
25 min
Cook
40 min
Total
1 h 5 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
435

Ingredients

4 servings

Chettinad masala

For the tempering

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the chicken with the yoghurt (opens in a new tab), turmeric (opens in a new tab) and salt and set aside.

    • 3 min

    Food safety: Refrigerate if marinating longer than 30 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Dry-roast the masala spices (everything except the coconut) until fragrant and a shade darker, then add the coconut and toast until golden. Cool and blend with 100 ml of the water to a paste.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the sesame oil (opens in a new tab), add the fennel seeds (opens in a new tab) and curry leaves (opens in a new tab), then the shallots (opens in a new tab), and fry until golden. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab) and ginger and cook for a minute.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and cook to a soft paste, then add the chicken and sear for 5 minutes.

    • 10 min
    • medium-high heat
    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Add the masala paste and remaining water, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked and the gravy is thick. Garnish with coriander.

    • 20 min
    • medium-low heat

    Food safety: Chicken must reach 74 °C at the thickest part.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Chettinad, Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu, India · Well documentedFrom the cuisine of the Nattukottai Chettiar community.More food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Toasted, Simmered
Taste
peppery, spicy (chilli heat), aromatic / warmly spiced, rich
Diet
No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead
Cook more with
Chicken thigh · Yogurt · Turmeric · Dried whole chillies · Ground coriander · Fennel seeds
Techniques
Toasting · Searing · Simmering · Spice roasting (dry-roasting)

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom yogurt
  • Contains, can be adapted: Sesamefrom toasted sesame oil

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

435 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 416 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 33%
  • Carbohydrate 20%
  • Fat 47%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy435 kcal104 kcal
Protein36.3 g8.7 g
Carbohydrate22 g5.3 g
Net carbohydrate15.4 g3.7 g
Sugars7.4 g1.8 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre6.6 g1.6 g
Fat23.4 g5.6 g
Saturated fat7.8 g1.9 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol154 mg37 mg
Sodium1052 mg253 mg
Salt equivalent2.6 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
974 mg
Calcium
122 mg
Iron
4.1 mg
Magnesium
88 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
70 µg
Vitamin C
16 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
1 µg
Folate (DFE)
41 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: coriander leaves.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves.
  • Star anise / anise: Anise seed (FDC 171316) used as a stand-in for star anise.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Roast and grind the masala fresh — it is what makes Chettinad cooking distinctive.

Common mistakes

  • Burning the poppy seeds and fennel while roasting — they colour fastest, so keep the heat medium-low and stir constantly.

Serve with

  • Serve with parotta, dosa or steamed rice.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently with a splash of water.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Chicken thigh, skinless, bone-in thighs and drumsticks, cut into curry pieces650 g
  • Yogurt2 tbsp · 31 g
  • Tomato, chopped2 piece · 240 g
Used in steps 1, 4

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

  • Dry spice blend

    Chettinad masala

    This recipe roasts and grinds it from whole spices (64 g for 4 servings). The full masala recipe explains each step in detail.

    Make Chettinad masala

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