From Tamilnadu in South India, this curry is quite fiery. There's no reason why you can't reduce the chillies to suit your own palate though. Chettinad chicken tastes great with parathas (bread) and even plain boiled rice.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg chicken (you can use a whole chicken cut into bits or leg or breast pieces)
- 2 large onions sliced fine
- 2 tomatoes chopped fine
- 2 tsps ginger paste
- 2 tsps garlic paste
- 10-15 curry leaves
- 1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
- 1 star anise
- 2 tsps lime juice
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp aniseed/fennel seeds
- 3 dry red chillies
- 1" piece of cinnamon
- 2 cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
- 2-3 tbsps vegetable/sunflower/canola oil or ghee
- Chopped coriander leaves to garnish
Preparation:
- Heat a heavy pan or skillet on a medium flame and roast the poppy, coriander, cumin and fennel seeds, dry red chillies, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and coconut for 3-4 minutes. Remove from flame and allow to cool. Grind the mixture into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
- Mix the ginger and garlic pastes with this powder and keep aside.
- In another deep pan, heat the oil and add the curry leaves. When they stop spluttering, add the sliced onions and fry till they are light brown.
- Add the spice paste and star anise and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and chilli powder and stir well to mix all the ingredients.
- Add the chicken, cover and simmer till it is tender.
- When the chicken is done add lime juice, mix well and turn off the flame.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
