Spicy Chettinad Chicken Curry
I have been hunting for a perfect chicken curry recipe since i was getting a little tired of all the diffrent types of chicken curry i knew..that’s when i came across Sailu’s food blog which caters to mostly Andhra recipes !! The Chettinad Chicken Curry on her blog looked exciting and with my brother in town – this was exactly what i needed to get in to his good books 
You Need :
For the Masala (Roast and grind to a fine powder)
1. Coriander Seeds- 1/2 tbsp
2. Cardamom Pods- 3 nos
3. Dry Red Chillies- 9 nos
4. Pepper Corns- 1/2 tsp
5. Cumin Seeds- 1/2 tsp
6. Fennel Seeds- 3/4th tsp
7. Cinnamon- 1 small stick
8. Curry- Handful
9. Oil- 1/2 tsp
For the paste (Grind to a smooth Paste)
1. Green Chillies- 3 nos
2. Ginger- 1 Stick
3. Garlic- 9 pods
For the Chicken
1. Chicken- 1 Kg (Curry Cut)
2. Small Onion- 1 Cup (Thinly Sliced)
3. Tomato- 1 nos (Diced)
4. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
5. Coconut Milk- 1 cup (Diluted with 1/4th cup water)
6. Salt to taste
7. Coriander leaves- Handful
8. Oil- 2 tbsp
9. Mustard to splutter
This is how you make it :
1. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a vessel and roast the curry leaves, dry red chillies, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander seeds and pepper corns for around 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Remove from fire, cool and grind to a fine powder. Set aside this powder.
2. Grind the green chillies, cloves and ginger to a smooth paste and set aside.
3. Place a cooking vessel on the flame and add 2 tbsp oil.
4. Splutter the mustard seeds when the oil is well heated.
5. Add the curry leaves and stir for around 45 seconds.
6. Add the small onions and saute till they turn transparent.
7. Now add the chilly-ginger-garlic paste to the onion.
8. Saute for another minute on a medium flame.
9. Add the chicken pieces and mix well with the mixture. Stirr for around 5 minutes on high flame. Make sure that you are stirring constantly as it may stick to the bottom of the cooking vessel.
10. Reduce the medium flame, add turmeric powder, salt and coriander leaves to the chicken and mix well. Stir for another 5 minutes.
11. Add the coconut milk to the chicken and stir well. Cover and cook the chicken on medium flame till the chicken is well cooked. This will take approximately 25-30 minutes.
12. When the chicken is tender and cooked, add the masala powder and stir well.
13. Remove from the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.
This is a very spicy dish so you may reduce the amount of pepper corns or red chillies. Enjoy the curry with chappatis or rice.
Good Reading :
1. Seena’s Chettinad Chicken Curry
2. Veetusamayal’s Chettinad Chicken Curry
3. Box of Spices’s Chettinad Chicken Curry
4. Sumi’s Kitchen’s Chettinad Chicken Curry
5. Madhur Jaffery’s Chettinad Pepper Chicken
