Chettinad Chicken with Rice
A fiery symphony of spices, straight from the heart of Chettinad.
⏱️ 75 min🍽️ Serves 1
🔥 650 kcal💪 45g protein🍚 60g carbs🥑 25g fat🌾 7g fibreper serving
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Ingredients
- 🍗500 g chicken thighs, boneless, cut into pieces
- 🧅2 onions, chopped
- 🍅2 tomatoes, chopped
- 🧄2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 🍃¼ cup curry leaves
- 🌶️2 tbsp Chettinad masala powder
- 🥥½ cup coconut milk
- 🌻2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 🍚1 cup basmati rice
- 💧2 cups water
- 🧂 salt, to taste
- 🌿 fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Pro tips
- For an authentic Chettinad masala, roast whole spices like black peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and red chilies before grinding.
- Adjust the amount of Chettinad masala powder to your preferred spice level.
- Marinating the chicken for at least 30 minutes in yogurt and a little turmeric can enhance tenderness and flavor.
- Serve with a side of raita (yogurt dip) to balance the spice.
Method
- 1Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onions and sauté until golden brown.
- 2Stir in ginger-garlic paste and curry leaves, cooking for another minute until fragrant.
- 3Add chopped tomatoes and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 4Add the chicken pieces and Chettinad masala powder. Cook until the chicken is seared on all sides, about 8-10 minutes.
- 5Pour in coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is tender.
- 6While the chicken cooks, rinse basmati rice thoroughly. In a separate pot, combine rice with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-18 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy.
- 7Adjust salt in the chicken curry if needed. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
- 8Serve the hot Chettinad chicken curry with steamed basmati rice.