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Chettinad Chicken Fry Recipe

Chettinad Chicken Fry is a bold and flavorful dry chicken dish from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu in South India. It’s known for its spicy taste that comes from a freshly made masala using whole spices like fennel, pepper, red chilies, star anise, and kalpasi (black stone flower). These spices are roasted and ground, then used to coat the chicken, giving it a deep, earthy flavor. The dish has no gravy; the masala clings to the chicken, making it great with rice, roti, or dosa. With a slightly crisp outside and juicy inside, it’s perfect when you want something spicy and aromatic. The flavors deepen over time, so it tastes even better the next day.
3.60 from 5 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 272kcal

Equipment

  • Kadai
  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoon Oil
  • 1 large Onions sliced thinly
  • 3 slit Green Chillies
  • a handful Curry Leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
  • to taste Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
  • 500 grams Chicken
  • 3 tablespoon Coriander Leaves finely chopped

FOR CHETTINAD MASALA POWDER:

  • 3 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
  • 6 no Whole Dry Red Chillies
  • 1 tablespoon Fennel Seeds
  • 1 stick Cinnamon
  • 2 piece Kal paasi / Black Stone Flower
  • 4 piece Cardamom
  • 4 piece Cloves
  • 1 teaspoon Whole Black Pepper
  • 1 no Star Anise

Instructions

  • Prepping the Masala Powder (You can do this in advance) - Start by making the spice mix from scratch, it’s what gives this dish its unique flavor. In a dry, heavy-bottomed pan (a kadai works well), Add all the spices for the Chettinad masala: coriander seeds, cumin, red chilies, fennel, cinnamon, kalpasi, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, and star anise. Roast them on low heat, stirring often. The idea is not to brown them too much but just to bring out the aroma. It usually takes around 4–5 minutes. Once the spices smell fragrant and look lightly roasted, turn off the heat and let them cool. Then grind everything into a fine powder using a blender or mixer. Tip: I often make a larger batch and store it in an airtight jar. It stays good for a few weeks.
  • Preparing the Masala Base - In the same kadai, pour in about 3 tablespoons of oil (any neutral cooking oil works). Once the oil heats up, add thinly sliced onions, slit green chilies, and a handful of curry leaves. Sauté this on medium heat, stirring now and then, until the onions soften and turn a light golden brown. Next, add a tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste, a pinch of turmeric powder, and some salt. Mix it all in and let it cook for a couple more minutes. At this stage, your kitchen starts smelling really good. That's when you know you’re on the right track.
  • Cooking the Chicken - Now, add in the cleaned chicken pieces. Usually use bone-in pieces because they stay juicy and flavorful. Mix the chicken well with the onion-spice mixture so everything gets coated evenly. Then cover the kadai with a lid and let the chicken cook in its own moisture. There’s no need to add water; chicken releases enough of its own juices. After about 20 minutes, check and stir it. If the chicken isn’t fully cooked yet, cover it again and let it go for another 10 minutes or so. You can tell it’s done when the chicken feels tender and pulls apart easily.
  • Finishing the Roast - Once the chicken is cooked through, increase the heat slightly and add the Chettinad masala powder we made earlier. This part really brings everything together. The spice powder coats the chicken, and as it cooks on high heat, the masala starts to roast and stick beautifully to the meat. Keep stirring for about 5–6 minutes until it becomes dry and slightly crispy on the outside. Finally, sprinkle chopped fresh coriander leaves over the top and turn off the heat. That’s it! It’s ready to serve. This dish goes great with rice, chapati, or even dosa if you’re in the mood.

Video

Notes

  • Dry roast the spices in low heat to bring the flavour from the spices.
  • Powder the spices fine.
  • You can make a big batch of the spice powder and store in a container for future use.
  • You can add more water to this curry to make it saucier.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

This curry goes well with rice or roti. You can serve it with hot steamed rice, or hot phulks. This can be served with red rice, cooked millets or quinoa too.

STORING SUGGESTIONS:

1)You can store chettinad chicken roast in fridge for upto 4 days. Reheat in microwave when needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 311mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 3mg
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