Chicken Chettinad
A South Indian chicken curry built on freshly roasted and ground black pepper, fennel, coriander and dried red chillies, finished with coconut. It is dark, fragrant and pleasantly peppery, and it is worth making for the aroma alone.
Published 29 Sep 2026Updated Tested by Hina Ikram
Ingredients
Equipment: Heavy-based pan or karahi with a lid, small dry frying pan, spice grinder or mortar and pestle, blender
Method
Mix the chicken with yogurt, turmeric and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cover and leave it to marinate while you prepare the masala.
Heat a small dry pan over medium-low heat. Add the dried chillies, coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel, cumin, poppy seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Toast, stirring constantly, until fragrant and a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Do not let them burn.
Add the desiccated coconut to the same pan and toast for 30 seconds until pale golden. Tip everything onto a plate and cool for 5 minutes.
Grind the cooled spices and coconut to a fine powder. Blend with 4 tablespoons of water to make a thick, slightly coarse paste.
Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the bay leaf, the extra teaspoon of fennel and the curry leaves. Let them sizzle for 15 seconds until crackling.
Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute until the raw smell goes. Add the tomatoes and green chillies and cook until soft and the oil starts to separate at the edges, about 6 minutes.
Add the ground masala paste and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and smells roasted. Sprinkle in a splash of water if it catches on the pan.
Add the marinated chicken and turn the heat to medium-high. Sear, stirring, for 5 minutes until the chicken turns opaque on the outside.
Pour in the hot water and the remaining salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook on low heat, stirring now and then, until the chicken is tender and reaches 74°C at the thickest piece, about 20 minutes.
Uncover and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes if the gravy is thin, until it clings to the chicken and oil shimmers on top. Stir in the lemon juice, taste for salt and scatter over the coriander.
Cooking tips
- Toast the spices on gentle heat and keep them moving. Scorched pepper and fennel turn bitter and cannot be rescued.
- Brown the onions properly. Their deep colour gives the gravy its body and sweetness against the pepper.
- Chettinad is meant to be peppery. For a milder curry, use 3/4 teaspoon peppercorns and remove the seeds from the dried chillies.
- Bone-in pieces give more flavour. If you use boneless thigh, shorten the covered cooking time to about 12 minutes.
Substitutions
- No fresh curry leaves: leave them out rather than using dried, and add an extra bay leaf.
- No desiccated coconut: use 3 tablespoons of coconut milk powder or 60 ml thick coconut milk stirred in at the end.
- No poppy seeds: use 1 tablespoon of raw cashews, ground with the spices.
- Kashmiri chillies not available: use regular dried red chillies, but reduce to 3 for less heat.
Serve with
"Serve with steamed basmati rice, plain parathas or roti, and a simple cucumber raita to cool the pepper heat. A squeeze of lemon and sliced red onion on the side works well."
Storage
Cool within 2 hours and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat with a splash of water until piping hot throughout (at least 74°C). Thaw frozen curry in the fridge overnight first.
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.
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