Chettinad Chicken Curryசெட்டிநாடு கோழி

Name: Chettinad Chicken Curry
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tamil
Ingredients: 1 kg chicken, curry-cut with bone (kozhі); 3 tbsp coconut oil (or neutral oil); 2 bay leaves; 1 inch piece cinnamon stick (pattai); 3 pods green cardamom (yelakkai); 4 cloves (kirambu); 1 tsp kalpasi (stone flower / black stone flower); 2 pods marathi mokku (dried kapok buds); 2 large onion, finely sliced; 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 2 sprigs curry leaves (karuvepilai); 1.5 tsp black peppercorns (milagu); 1 tsp fennel seeds (sombu); 1 tbsp coriander seeds (dhaniya); 5 total dried red chillies (Kashmiri + guntur, combined); 3 tbsp fresh grated coconut; 0.5 tsp turmeric powder (manjal); to taste salt; a small handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped

⏱ Prep 30m🍳 Cook 50m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Non-veg

Video: Get Curried (YouTube)

Chettinad cuisine comes from the Nattukotar Chettiar community of the Sivaganga district in Tamil Nadu, and their chicken curry is built on a freshly ground spice paste — not a pre-made powder — which is what separates it from every other South Indian chicken dish. The combination of kalpasi (stone flower), marathi mokku (dried flower pods), and freshly cracked black pepper gives this curry a deep, almost smoky warmth that lingers. It is rich without being heavy, and fiercely aromatic in a way that makes the whole kitchen smell like something serious is happening.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

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Ingredients

▪chicken, curry-cut with bone (kozhі)1 kg
▪coconut oil (or neutral oil)3 tbsp
For the whole spice tempering
▪bay leaves2
▪cinnamon stick (pattai)1 inch piece
▪green cardamom (yelakkai)3 pods
▪cloves (kirambu)4
▪kalpasi (stone flower / black stone flower)1 tsp
▪marathi mokku (dried kapok buds)2 pods
For the base
▪onion, finely sliced2 large
▪tomatoes, roughly chopped2 medium
▪ginger-garlic paste2 tbsp
▪curry leaves (karuvepilai)2 sprigs
Freshly ground Chettinad masala paste
▪black peppercorns (milagu)1.5 tsp
▪fennel seeds (sombu)1 tsp
▪coriander seeds (dhaniya)1 tbsp
▪dried red chillies (Kashmiri + guntur, combined)5 total
▪fresh grated coconut3 tbsp
Powders and finishing
▪turmeric powder (manjal)0.5 tsp
▪saltto taste
▪fresh coriander leaves, choppeda small handful

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Kalpasi (stone flower) is the hardest ingredient to find outside Tamil Nadu and South India. Indian grocery stores in the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia increasingly stock it labelled as 'black stone flower' or 'dagad phool' (the Hindi name used in Maharashtrian cooking). If you genuinely cannot find it, leaving it out will not ruin the dish — but it does remove a subtle earthy depth that is characteristic of Chettinad food.
Marathi mokku (kapok buds) can sometimes be found in stores that stock Chettinad spice boxes, but if unavailable, skip it rather than substituting — its flavour is mild and the other whole spices carry the tempering. Some cooks add a small extra pinch of fennel seeds to compensate.
Fresh grated coconut is used in the masala paste here. Outside South Asia, frozen grated coconut (sold in 400 g blocks in most South Asian and Southeast Asian grocery stores) works very well — thaw a portion, and it grinds cleanly. Desiccated coconut is a last resort: rehydrate it in a tablespoon of warm water before grinding, and use only unsweetened varieties.

Method

1Dry-roast the black peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and dried red chillies in a small pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until fragrant, then let them cool completely. Grind them together with the fresh grated coconut and just enough water to make a thick, coarse paste. Set aside.
2Clean and pat dry the chicken pieces. Rub them with turmeric, a little salt, and 1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste. Marinate for at least 20 minutes while you prep the rest — longer if you have time.
3Heat the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed kadai or wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, kalpasi, and marathi mokku. Let them sizzle for about 30 seconds — the kalpasi smells almost mossy and earthy when it hits the oil, and that is exactly what you want.
4Add the curry leaves and sliced onions. Cook on medium heat, stirring regularly, until the onions turn a deep golden brown — do not rush this; it takes 12–15 minutes and is the backbone of the curry's flavour.
5Add the remaining ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes until the raw smell disappears completely. Then add the chopped tomatoes and cook down until they are completely soft and the oil starts to separate at the edges, about 8 minutes.
6Add the marinated chicken pieces and turn the heat up to high. Sear the chicken for 4–5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pieces are lightly sealed on the outside and coated in the onion-tomato base.
7Stir in the freshly ground Chettinad masala paste and mix well so every piece of chicken is coated. Add about 150–200 ml of warm water, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is fully cooked through and the gravy has thickened to a glossy, clinging consistency.
8Taste and adjust salt. Finish with chopped coriander leaves, remove from heat, and let the curry rest for 5 minutes before serving. It tastes even better after 30 minutes as the ground spices settle in.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.