Recipe for spicy Chettinad Chicken Masala (dry recipe). Recipe with step by step pictures.
Chettinad chicken is a favorite with everyone. What makes it so unique is the usage of ingredients like gundu chillies, kalpasi (stone flower) and Indian shallots. The masalas are robust and spicy. Traditionally, tomatoes are not used in the recipe. Usually served with rice.
Here is how to do Chettinad Chicken Recipe
First, We will make a chettinad masala paste for the recipe.
In Chettinad cuisine, dry red chilli variety called the “gundu” is predominantly used. If you cannot source gundu, regular long chillies will work too! The flavour of gundu chillies is very unique.
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Here is what you will need for making the chettinad spice masala.
Grind the chettinad spice masala ingredients with half a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the kalpasi (stone flower) and cinnamon. Kalpasi – Kal means rock and Pasi means green moss. Its also called as stone flower. Kalpasi is nothing but a unique variety of moss that usually grows on rocks in a moist place. They are carefully harvested and dried and used in cooking. It imparts a very earthy aroma to the dish.
Add in a handful of curry leaves. Use curry leaves generously.
Add in the chopped shallots (small onions) and saute for five minutes.
Add in the ground masala paste. Saute for five minutes.
Add in the salt and turmeric powder.
Add in the chicken and a cup of water. I like to use chicken in bone for this recipe. The gelatinous juices from the bones that release while cooking are very flavourful. When making any south Indian curry, make sure to use chicken in bone.
Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on a low flame for 25 minutes. Saute once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom.
Once the chicken is well cooked, remove the chicken pieces to a plate and allow the gravy to thicken.
Allow the gravy to become thick. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Let the gravy thicken to a thick masala consistency.
Add back the chicken and mix well so the masalas coat the chicken evenly. Roast the chicken for a couple of minutes.
Chettinad chicken is ready. Serve with rice.
Chettinad Chicken Recipe
Recipe for spicy Chettinad Chicken Masala (dry recipe). Recipe with step by step pictures.
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the chettinad chicken masala
- 5–6 gundu chillies (use less if you want a less spicy dish)
- 10 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoon black pepper (use less if you want a less spicy dish)
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Other ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Indian sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
- a big pinch of kalpasi
- 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
- 5 sprigs curry leaves
- 1.5 cups Indian shallots (small onions), chopped (around 250 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 500 grams chicken in bone
Instructions
- Grind the chettinad chicken masala ingredients with half a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and add in the kalpasi (stone flower) and cinnamon. Add in a handful of curry leaves.
- Add in the chopped shallots (small onions) and saute for five minutes.
- Add in the ground masala paste. Saute for five minutes.
- Add in the salt and turmeric powder.
- Add in the chicken and a cup of water.
- Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on a low flame for 25 minutes. Saute once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom.
- Once the chicken is well cooked, remove the chicken pieces to a plate and allow the gravy to thicken.
- Allow the gravy to become thick. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Let the gravy thicken to a thick masala consistency.
- Add back the chicken and mix well so the masalas coat the chicken evenly. Roast the chicken for a couple of minutes.
- Chettinad chicken is ready. Serve with rice.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Side dish
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
Love this recipe! Can we use normal onions instead of shallots?
You can but shallots is preferred. The shallots have a very mildly sweeter taste and flavour.
I love this recipe. Everytime I make chettinad I only look for this recipe. My father and mother really enjoy when I make it.
Thank You!
Last sunday I made this dish. It came out well. My family members enjoyed a lot and asked me to prepare the same this week also
Thank you so much.
Hi, So far I tried four times. Every time the results were perfect. How can I make this to gravy. Please suggest.
Has all the ingredients at home and we tried this recipe exact to the details, and it came out excellent.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful Chettinad dish
Thank you!
Hi, Today i tried this recipe. Only change I made was to reduce pepper to half, since I eat less spicy. The result was excellent. My colleagues liked it very much. Thank you.
Thank you!
Came out very well
Thank you!
Hi, Request you to post Chettinad mutton gravy for rice. I don’t find any. Thank you.
Yummy Receipe
Thank you so much!
This recipe is easy and authentic. I added a few tablespoons of thinky sliced coconut at the onset, which along with the curry leaves which gave it a very nice flavour.
Thank you kanamma!
Thank you Ananya. Happy you liked the Chettinad chicken. Stay safe and happy cooking.
Thanks for your reply Suguna. I am in Florida. I will check if there is one of those stores here.
Suguna,
When you were in the US, were you able to find gundu chillies in the Indian store?
Love your website. Thanks for providing a beautiful and tasty introduction to Tamilian cuisine.
Thanks Amitha. We lived in California. I used to take them from home. Sometimes, we used to get in Srilankan grocery and Tamil grocery stores.
Thanks for your reply Suguna. I am in Florida. I will check.
🙂
I tried this one and it really came out well. We enjoyed it as family. Thank you
Thank you so much. Glad you liked the Chettinad chicken recipe.
Super.yummy chicken curry…thanks for this lovely recipe
Hi Suguna,
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve left the chicken to simmer as I type this comment and the aroma is amazing.
I’m not a seasoned cook, and off late I’ve developed an interest in cooking and it’s because of your recipes. Your recipes have a certain precision to them, which I’m unable to find in others and hence has enabled me to cook well and further my interest.
Please keep posting.
Thank you so much. Happy cooking:)
This was so delicious and flavoursome. I’m certainty going to be making it often. Thank you! You’re a rockstar!
Thank you!
Probably the easiest chicken dish I’ve made. So few ingredients, yet so delicious! Only you can do that 🙂 Thank you for this.
Thank you!
Hi kannamma,
I tried this recipe and it was just perfect. I was always under the impression that you have to add way too many spices to get the authentic chettinadu taste. But I was wrong. With just a few ingredients, I could get the same taste as that of a restaurant style chettinadu chicken..I am a regular follower of your blog and I absolutely love your writing and recipes. I don’t know how many recipes I have tried out from because there are too many. Most of them have turned out be finger licking good :). Never found time to write a thank you note, but today I thought I shouldn’t delay any further..keep rocking!
Thanks
Greesha
Thank you so much Greesha. This made my day!!! Happy cooking!
This looks absolutely finger-licking good!
Can I use normal red chilli instead of gundu chilli ?
Sure you can if you dont have gundu chillies.