Chettinad Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 800 g chicken, cut into pieces
• 3 onions, sliced
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp freshly ground Chettinad masala (kalpasi, marathi mokku, star anise, fennel, peppercorns)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 3 tbsp gingelly (sesame) oil
• 1 tsp turmeric

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry roast all Chettinad spices until fragrant. Grind to a coarse powder.

   💡 Tip: Fresh grinding is the soul of Chettinad cooking.

   10 min
2. 2

   Heat gingelly oil, fry curry leaves and onions until deep brown.

   15 min
3. 3

   Add ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, turmeric. Cook until oil separates.

   10 min
4. 4

   Add chicken pieces and Chettinad masala powder. Sear on high heat for 5 minutes.

   5 min
5. 5

   Add 1 cup of water. Cover and cook on medium heat 25 minutes until chicken is tender.

   25 min
6. 6

   Finish with fresh curry leaves. Serve with parotta or steamed rice.