We’re super excited that Nutmeg, one of Bristol’s best independent Indian restaurant, has shared their Chicken Chettinad Curry recipe with us all so we can re-create it at home (recipe, method & video below)! Yesss!
Chicken Chettinad is a lovely flavoursome chicken curry dish from Tamil Nadu in South India. Chettinad Chicken is made by toasting a number of spices with coconut and producing an aromatic masala that has a slight aniseed scent. Traditionally it is served with Dosa or Appams but it is just as good with naan and even plain boiled rice!
Prep: 10-mins | Cooking: 40-mins | Serving: 2-3
Ingredients:
Chettinad masala paste:
• 4 tbsp desiccated coconut
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 inch cinnamon sticks
• 4 cardamom pods
• 2 star anise
• 4 cloves
• 1 dry bay leaf
• 4 dry chillies or according to your tolerance
• 1 tsp peppercorn or crushed black pepper
Curry sauce:
• 500g chicken *see marinade below
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 fresh tomatoes, chunks
• 2 inch ginger, grated
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
• A few curry leaves
• Coriander
*Chicken marinade:
• 500g diced chicken
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 lime juice
• Pinch of salt
Marinade chicken for 2-3 hours or overnight
Method:
Tips: Add water if the curry becomes too thick. Use Kashmiri dry red chillies for less spice.
1. Dry fry all the ingredients (Chettinad masala paste – see above) for 5 minutes on a low heat, add some water, then place in a blender / food processor to make a paste.
2. In a pan, on a medium-high heat, add a dash of oil to cook your onions until soft. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Then add your marinaded chicken and cook for a further 5 minutes. Then add your tomatoes. Once they become soft, add your masala paste you made earlier alongside your curry leaves.
3. For about 25 minutes, cook in a low-medium heat, keeping an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t stick.
4. Serve it up in a bowl with some coriander and serve with plain or pilau rice and even some garlic naan!
