• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Yummy Tummy
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Masterchef Journey
  • Media
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Masterchef Journey
  • Media
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipe Index
    • About Me
    • Masterchef Journey
    • Media
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home

    Chicken Salna Recipe

    Last Updated On: May 28, 2024 by Aarthi

    22
    Shares

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Chicken Salna Recipe, made thattukadai style with onions, tomatoes, chicken, spices and coconut. Salna is a popular South Indian street food style gravy dish usually served with parotta, biryani, appam & idiyappam. Other popular version of salna includes this egg salna, parotta salna & veg salna. Learn how to make the best ever chicken salna with step by step pictures and video.

    chicken salna ready and served

    Chicken Salna

    Salna is my childhood nostalgic favorite recipe. I remember appa buying parotta and salna for use when we were younger and the taste has just stuck in my tastebuds forever.

    Jump to:
    • About Chicken Salna
    • Watch Chicken Salna Video
    • Chicken Salna Ingredients
    • How to Make Chicken Salna (Stepwise Pictures)
    • Instant Pot Chicken Salna Recipe
    • Expert Tips
    • 📖 Recipe Card

    Now I make different types of salna to go with different dishes like this parotta salna and nattu kozhi salna. This version of salna is close to the thattukadai recipe which goes well with pretty much anything, specially biryani and parotta. It taste simply delicious.

    About Chicken Salna

    Chicken salna is a popular gravy dish usually served with parotta, appam, idiyappam and biryani. It is made just like normal chicken curry but it has a special roasted coconut & whole spice mixture added for flavour and taste.

    You can make salna with egg, mutton, empty, soya chunks or even vegetables. Make sure you refer my veg salna and thattukadai style veg salna. The gravy has a wonderful aroma of the whole spices which just makes my mouth water whenever I think of it.

    In this recipe of chicken salna, I have shared a simple version of chicken salna recipe which is close to the street food stall version. Also I have included an Instant pot version of chicken salna which will be helpful to many of you.

    Similar Recipes

    Hyderabadi Mutton Dalcha

    Onion Chicken Curry

    Aloo Chicken Curry

    Watch Chicken Salna Video

    YouTube video

    Chicken Salna Ingredients

    ingredients for making chicken salna

    Chicken - For making salna like thattukadai style, you have to use bone-in chicken. bone-in chicken adds so much flavour and taste to the curry.

    Onions & Tomatoes - like all curry onions and tomatoes form the base of the chicken salna. You can use chopped shallots instead of onions too.

    Ginger & Garlic - lots of ginger and garlic paste is used to provide the authentic aroma.

    Spice powders - I used a combo of chilli, coriander, cumin and turmeric. Additionally you can use pepper powder, garam masala powder and some fennel seed powder for added aroma.

    Coconut Masala - Chicken salna get its unique taste and aroma from the special roasted coconut masala. Coconuts, whole spices like fennel, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves is roasted and ground. This paste is added in the salna for special taste.

    Coriander Leaves & Curry Leaves - don't skip these for added taste.

    Oil - I prefer to use coconut oil, in my opinion it adds best taste.

    chicken salna

    How to Make Chicken Salna (Stepwise Pictures)

    Roasted Coconut & Spices

    1)Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a pan. Add in whole spices. These whole spices adds so much aroma to the chicken salna.

    Once spices are added in the oil, toast it on low medium heat for 1 minute till it is well roasted.

    add whole spices in oil for making chicken salna

    2)Add in grated coconut. You can use either fresh coconut or dried desiccated coconut.

    add coconut for making chicken salna

    3)Add in poppy seeds. Instead of poppy seeds, you can use roasted gram dal or cashews.

    add poppy seeds with coconut

    4)Roast the coconut and spices on low heat for 4 to 5 minutes till it is lightly roasted.

    roast them for few minutes

    5)Now the coconut is well roasted. This is the colour you are looking for.

    roasted coconut and spices

    Grinding Coconut Paste

    6)Take the roasted coconut in a blender. Add some water and grind it to a smooth paste.

    take coconut in blender

    7)Coconut paste is ready. Set this aside, we will be using it in the end.

    ground coconut masala for making chicken salna

    Making Masala Base

    8)I made this in a pressure cooker. You can cook this in a regular cooking pot which will take extra time. You can also make this in an instant pot which I have shared below.

    Heat coconut oil in a pressure cooker. Add in sliced onions and green chillies.

    saute onions and chillies for making chicken salna

    10)Saute this for 3 to 4 minutes till the onions turn slighly golden.

    onions cooked

    11)Add in ginger garlic paste. Saute the ginger garlic paste for at least 2 minutes till it is aromatic and raw smell leaves.

    add ginger garlic paste for making chicken salna

    12)Add in chopped tomatoes.

    add tomatoes for making chicken salna

    13)Cook the tomatoes in the oil for 4 to 5 minutes till it softens up and gets mushy.

    cook tomatoes till mushy

    14)add salt to taste.

    add salt

    15)Add in spice powders. I am using chilli powder and coriander powder.

    chilli and coriander powder added in onions

    16)I added some cumin powder and turmeric powder. You can add pepper powder, garam masala powder and some fennel seed powder for added aroma.

    add in turmeric and cumin powder

    17)Once the spices are added in. Stir fry it for 2 minutes. This is your masala base.

    cook masala till mushy

    Cooking Chicken

    18)Now add in chicken. I am using chicken with bone-in. Bone-in chicken adds flavour and taste to salna.

    add chicken to masala

    19)Stir fry the chicken for 5 minutes so the masala coats the chicken really well.

    cook chicken in masala for few minutes

    20)Pour enough water to cover the chicken. Close the pressure cooker lid, pressure cook for 2 whistle. Reduce the flame and cook on low for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure release by itself.

    Pro Tip: if you are using country chicken. You have to pressure cook for at least 5 to 6 whistle.

    pour water

    21)Now the chicken is cooked. You can open the cooker and add more water if needed.

    cover and cook for few whistle

    Mixing in Coconut paste

    22)Add the coconut masala into the cooked chicken. Mix well and cook on low medium heat for 10 minutes.

    chicken for salna is cooked

    23)Cook chicken salna on low till you see a layer of oil floating on top.

    add coconut masala and mix

    24)Add in coriander leaves and mix well.

    add coriander leaves

    25)Serve.

    chicken salna ready

    Instant Pot Chicken Salna Recipe

    Instant Pot Chicken Salna Recipe

    Chicken salna which is made in instant pot. It take just few minutes to put together but it taste so amazing. The recipe remains the same except the cooking method. If you own an instant pot then you can make this easy and effectively.

    How to Make Chicken Salna in an Instant Pot

    1)Set the Instant Pot to Saute Mode. Roast the ingredients given till toasted and lightly golden. Grind to a smooth paste. Set this aside.

    In the same instant pot which is on saute mode. Heat oil and add in onions, curry leaves and let them saute well. Add in ginger garlic paste and saute for a min. Once ginger garlic paste is cooked, add in tomatoes and cook till mushy.

    cook onions, tomatoes with ginger garlic paste

    2)Sprinkle in spice powders, salt and mix well. Add in chicken and mix well. Stir fry the chicken for 5 minutes.

    add chicken and spice powders

    3) Pour water in the chicken and mix well.

    add water to instant pot

    4)Now add in the ground coconut and mix well.

    add coconut masala

    5)Cover with instant pot lid. Change the mode to pressure cook and set pressure to 12 mins. Now let the pressure release by itself.

    cover and cook instant pot

    6)Now the chicken is cooked. Open the instant pot and serve.

    chicken salna made in instant pot

    Expert Tips

    • You can either use regular chicken or country chicken. If using country chicken, the cooking time will vary. You need to cook for around 5 to 6 whistle in the pressure cooker.
    • You can always adjust the spice level to your taste. Add more or less chilli powder.
    • Chicken salna can be made as thin or thick depending on your taste.
    • It is best to use chicken with bone-in for maximum flavour and taste.

    Serving & Storage

    Salna is a popular South Indian street food style gravy dish usually served with parotta, biryani, appam & idiyappam.

    You can store leftover chicken salna in fridge for upto 3 to 4 days. Reheat in microwave or stove top till hot and bubbly and serve.

    More Gravy Dishes

    • Ethiopian Dal Recipe (Misir Wat)
    • Boiled Egg Roast Recipe
    • Soya Kheema Curry Recipe
    • Garlic Tomato Chicken Roast Recipe
    • Chettinad Chicken Fry Recipe
    • Beetroot Kurma (Korma) Recipe

    📖 Recipe Card

    Chicken Salna Recipe | Chicken Salna for Parotta & Biryani

    Chicken Salna Recipe, made thattukadai style with onions, tomatoes, chicken, spices and coconut. Salna is a popular South Indian street food style gravy dish usually served with parotta, biryani, appam & idiyappam. Other popular version of salna includes this egg salna, parotta salna & veg salna. Learn how to make the best ever chicken salna with step by step pictures and video.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 279kcal
    Author: Aarthi

    Equipment

    • Pressure cooker
    • Cooking pot
    • Blender

    Ingredients

    • 3 tbsp Coconut Oil
    • 1 large Onions sliced thinly
    • 3 no Green Chillies slit
    • 2 large Tomatoes chopped finely
    • 1 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
    • 2 tbsp Coriander Powder
    • 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
    • 1 tsp Cumin Powder
    • 2 tsp Salt
    • 500 grams Chicken bone-in
    • 2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
    • 3 tbsp Coriander Leaves finely chopped
    • Water as needed

    For Roasting & Grinding

    • 1 tsp Coconut Oil
    • 1 stick Cinnamon
    • 1 tbsp Fennel Seeds
    • 4 no Cardamom
    • 2 no Cloves
    • 1 cup Fresh Coconut - 1 cup grated grated
    • 3 tbso Poppy Seeds or use Cashews

    Instructions

    • Heat 1 tsp of oil in a kadai. Add in all roasting ingredients and roast till light golden. Remove it to a blender and make it into a smooth puree. Set aside.
    • Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker. Add in onions, chillies and saute till golden. Add in ginger garlic paste and cook for a min. Add in tomatoes and salt. Cook till it gets mushy. Add in spice powders and mix well. Add in chicken and mix well in the masala for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of water. Cover and pressure cook for 2 whistle, simmer the flame and cook for 10 mins. Turn off the heat and let the steam go all by itself.
    • Open the cooker, add in coconut masala and mix well. Pour in more hot water to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Simmer on low for 10 to 15 mins till you see a thin layer of oil floating on top. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve.

    Video

    YouTube video

    Notes

    • You can either use regular chicken or country chicken. If using country chicken, the cooking time will vary. You need to cook for around 5 to 6 whistle in the pressure cooker.
    • You can always adjust the spice level to your taste. Add more or less chilli powder.
    • Chicken salna can be made as thin or thick depending on your taste.
    • It is best to use chicken with bone-in for maximum flavour and taste.

    Serving & Storage

    Salna is a popular South Indian street food style gravy dish usually served with parotta, biryani, appam & idiyappam.
    You can store leftover chicken salna in fridge for upto 3 to 4 days. Reheat in microwave or stove top till hot and bubbly and serve.

    How to Make Chicken Salna in an Instant Pot

    • Set the Instant Pot to Saute Mode. Roast the ingredients given till toasted and lightly golden. Grind to a smooth paste. Set this aside.
    • In the same instant pot which is on saute mode. Heat oil and add in onions, curry leaves and let them saute well. Add in ginger garlic paste and saute for a min. Once ginger garlic paste is cooked, add in tomatoes and cook till mushy. Sprinkle in spice powders, salt and mix well. Add in chicken and mix well. Pour water. Mix well.
    • Now add in the ground coconut and mix well. Cover with lid. Change the mode to pressure cook and set pressure to 12 mins. Now let the pressure release by itself. Open the instant pot and serve.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servings | Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 840mg | Potassium: 449mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 979IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @yummytummyaarthi or tag #yummytummyaarthi!
    Join us on FacebookFollow us on Facebook
    Share by Email Share on Facebook

    More Chicken Recipes to Try

    • Ethiopian Doro Wat Recipe
    • Tan Tan Ramen Recipe
    • Chicken Mince Kebab Recipe
    • Chicken Club Sandwich Recipe
    • Chicken Shepherds Pie Recipe
    • Onion Chicken Fry Recipe

    22
    Shares
    « Poricha Parotta Recipe
    Empty Salna Recipe »
    Aarthi

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jamuna Sundar

      at

      Salna is looking yummy. I want to try. Some people adding peanut with that.

      Reply
    2. Anonymous

      at

      yummy,..mouth watering..

      Reply
    3. Anusheya V

      at

      Wow..... I tried this chalna today for the barotta combination.. It turned out soo good.. thanks aarti for posting this recipe

      Reply
    4. Ann Karthi

      at

      Wow.... Aarthi I am a big fan of u.... Almost I learned more than 50 dishes from this site..... Why don't u create a app for ur site,
      This dish is absolutely my favourite one.... Thanks for sharing the dish... Along with grinding I added little cashews to make a thick paste, it even came out well..... Thanks again for sharing ur recipe

      Reply
    5. Unknown

      at

      I gave it a try today and this came out really well 😀 Thank you so much ❤

      Reply
    6. Sri Dhivya

      at

      I have made this recipe twice... It's a favourite recipe in our home... Thank you for this lovely recipe....

      Reply
    7. Fatima

      at

      5 stars
      Any replacement for khus khus ?

      Reply
      • Aarthi

        at

        skip that. add little cashews

        Reply
    8. Fatima

      at

      5 stars
      Any substitute for khus Khus?

      Reply
    9. Ishu

      at

      I tried this today for parotta and it came out soo well. This is the first time I’m trying Salna. Entire family loved it..!

      Reply
    5 from 2 votes

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    MEET THE AUTHOR

    Hi, I'm Aarthi!

    WELCOME. Over the past few years, I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    More about me →

    STAY CONNECTED

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Useful Links

    • Dosa
    • Idli
    • Rice Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner

    Recent Posts

    • Apple Galette Recipe
    • Gomen Wat Recipe (Ethiopian Spinach)
    • Ethiopian Cabbage Potato Carrots (Atakilt Wat)
    • Ethiopian Injera Flatbread Recipe

    As seen in

    BUY MY COOKBOOK

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Privacy

    • Privacy Policy
    • Advertisers
    • Contact
    • Recipe Index

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Stay Connected

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube

    Copyright © 2021 Yummy Tummy | Technical Partner </> Host My Blog

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.