Chicken Chettinad: A Pure Gem From South-Indian Cuisine

Winner! Winner! Chicken dinner! We all know a good chicken dish is the best way to call it a day. When it comes to the non-veg dinner menu, almost every culture has some chicken dish. Especially if you are in the USA, you might love your chicken parma, rotisserie chicken, etc. However, the magic gets doubled when you try an Indian chicken dish with a burst of flavor and aroma. Yes, a good old butter chicken might top your list, but today it’s time for Chicken Chettinad!

Chicken Chettinad is a hot fiery chicken curry that originates from the land of Chettinad Indian cuisine, Tamil Nadu. One can easily agree that it is one of the most ordered non-veg dinner menu dishes in Indian restaurants. 

Now, what makes Chicken Chettinad everyone’s favorite? It is made with a unique masala mixture called the Chettinad paste, bursting with the spiciness of guntur chilies, whole peppercorns, cinnamon, shallots, garlic, and plenty of other spices. It is traditionally eaten with rice, dosa, or appam, but many people enjoy it with naan or roti as well.

Recipe for Chicken Chettinad

A typical recipe for Chicken Chettinad goes like this:

Ingredients:

• 500 gms chicken
• 75 ml oil
• 150 gms onions
• 100 gms Tomatoes
• 2 gms cinnamon sticks
• 2 gms cloves
• 2 gms cardamoms
• 5 gms cumin
• 2 gms curry leaves 
• 10 gms turmeric powder
• 25 gms Salt
• Coriander leaves

For the paste: 100 gms onions, 50 gms ginger, 50 gms garlic, 50 gms fennel seeds, 20 gms cumin seeds, 25 gms peppercorns, 10 gms red chilies, 100 gms coconut.

1. Grind the ingredients for the paste to make Chettinad paste.
2. Clean and cut the chicken into 16 pieces and marinate the chicken with the Chettinad paste.
3. Heat oil and add cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves, and cumin to saute.
4. Add the chopped onions and the curry leaves. Saute until the onions are golden.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes. Saute for 5 min.
6. Add the marinated chicken and turmeric powder. Mix well and saute for 10 minutes, sprinkling water at intervals.
7. Add salt as per your taste, cover with a lid and cook until done. 
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Where to find the best Chicken Chettinad in Austin, Tx?

Chicken Chettinad tastes as scrumptious as it sounds. The good news is that you don’t have to travel all the way to find the best authentic dish. That’s right, Sangam Chettinad in Austin, TX, serves the best Chettinad Indian cuisine and a whole variety of South Indian dishes. You can also pick up or get your favorite non-veg dinner menu items delivered to your doorstep. Visit our restaurant today!