Chettinad Pepper Chicken Fry

This Spicy Chettinad Pepper Chicken Fry/Roast is a delectable Tamil-style dish. It’s ready in 45 minutes and, despite being a dry roast, there’s enough masala coating the chicken to serve with Rotis! It’s hot, but the kind that makes you want to take another taste!

I was craving something spicy after eating too much Bengali food the day before. When Denver went for Pune, I was eager to try something new. I came upon this hot Chettinad pepper chicken masala while surfing Pinterest. It looked like the perfect thing for a sleep-deprived Monday, and believe me, it took precisely 45 minutes from start to finish. This is ideal when you have a mound of work to catch up on and can’t afford to waste time messing around in the kitchen!

Due to the high spice levels, I hadn’t eaten much Chettinad food before, but it looked so amazing that I couldn’t pass it up. Denver, in general, avoids too much spice, but I’m the queen of sampling everything. This pepper chicken fry is spicy but not overpoweringly so. It’s hot, but not in a sweaty, nose-sniffing kind of manner. It’s a dry roast, but there’s enough space on the chicken to dig in with your rotis.

Additional mfs recipes you might like Because it hasn’t yet been taste tested by Denver, this recipe is likely to be in the minority on the blog. But I know he’ll nod when he bites into it. The chicken is moist and succulent, and the masala adheres to it so well that you don’t need it anymore.

When I started roasting the dry spices when I started cooking from this recipe, I knew it was going to be a hit. It’s a flavor combination that tempts you to wish it would cook faster. And it’s all about the spices, so don’t skimp on them when you make this!

If you try this, I strongly advise you to use curry leaves and whole spices. Don’t be lazy and substitute coriander powder for coriander seeds; it just won’t do. If necessary, make a trip to the store or get them online, but trust me when I say it’s worth the effort.

Please don’t be disappointed if you’re a vegetarian. This recipe should work just as well with mushrooms or potatoes.

love curries? try these out:

• Creamy Matar Paneer Curry
• Goan Prawn Curry with Coconut
• Chicken Kori Rotti | Mangalorean Chicken Curry
• Indian Mutton Curry (Lamb Curry in a Pressure Cooker)

Spice Mix:

• 1 tablespoon Cumin seeds or Jeera
• 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds or Dhaniya
• 5 Kashmiri Red Chillies dry Note 2
• 1 tablespoon Black Pepper whole or Kali Mirch
• 1/2 teaspoon Fennel Seeds or Saunf
• 3 Cinnamon sticks
• 4 pods Cardamom Green
• 1/4 cup Coconut Grated

Instructions

1. 500 grams Chicken bone-in, curry cut 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powd Take care not to overcook the spices. Make a coarse paste with 2 tablespoons water.
2. While the spices roast, brush the turmeric powder over the chicken and set aside.
3. Heat the coconut oil in a skillet and add the mustard seeds and fennel seeds. When they begin to crackle, add the spice paste and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes.
4. Then stir in the onion and ginger-garlic pastes. Cook until the onions are light pink, then add the tomato puree
5. Wash the chicken and place it in the pan with 1/4 cup water, curry leaves, and salt.
6. Cook for 15 minutes, covered, on medium heat. Check it every few minutes to ensure it isn’t stuck to the bottom.
7. After 15 minutes, remove the lid and turn up the heat to allow the liquid to begin evaporating. Once the chicken is cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated, continue to cook it for 2-3 minutes in the pan, swirling constantly, to roast it before turning off the heat.

Notes

Chettinad Chicken Pepper Roast is best served with hot rotis and ghee rice.

Notes I love coconut oil for this recipe, but you can use any oil you like or even ghee. Feel free to increase or decrease the number of chillies to your liking.