Indian Chettinad Chicken Fry

Chettinad chicken fry

Difficulty Level: ⅓            Cooking Time: 30 mins                   Serves: 3-4 people

Main Ingredients

• skinless chicken thigh fillets   500g, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ginger    coarsely grated to make 1 tbsp
• ground turmeric     ½ tsp
• kashmiri chilli powder or mild chilli powder    ½ tsp
• fennel seeds    ½ tsp
• cinnamon stick    2cm piece
• dried mild red chillies    2
• black peppercorns   ½ tsp
• vegetable oil    3 tbsp
• black mustard seeds    1 tsp
• curry leaves    8-10
• onion     1, thinly sliced
• tomatoes     2 small, chopped
• coriander    a handful, chopped
• rotis or parathas    to serve

Directions

1. Put the chicken in a large bowl along with the ginger, turmeric and chilli powder. Stir well and leave to marinate for 20 minutes.
2. Use a pestle and mortar to lightly bash the fennel seeds, cinnamon, dried chillies and peppercorns, and set aside.
3. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a wok or large frying pan. Add the mustard seeds and, when they begin to pop, fry for 10 seconds. Add the crushed spices and fry for a minute. Add the curry leaves and, as they splutter, add the onion. Fry for 7-8 minutes, stirring often. Add the marinated chicken and turn the heat up slightly, frying for 4 minutes. Season with a little salt.
4. Lower the heat, cover and cook the chicken for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.
5. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking uncovered for 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle over the coriander and serve with rotis or parathas.

All about Chettinad Cuisine

Chettinad Cuisine is the cuisine of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu. Food from this state is predominantly vegetarian due the majority of Tamil Brahmins. The Chettinad region comprises of 76 villages and 2 towns and is dominated by the Chettiar community. Cuisine of Chettinad is uses a variety of freshly ground spices including cumin, fenugreek, fennel, clove, bay leaf, turmeric and tamarind. The cuisine is well known for the complexity of flavours.

A fiery curry, Chicken Chettinad is one of the most popular dishes that hails from the South Indian region. This delicious curry is prepared with freshly ground coconut along with a number of spices, all of these together make this dish a treat for your senses. Serve it with rice or rotis for a hearty meal.