This Chettinad chicken fry recipe comes from Maunika Gowardhan. She says: “I’ve adapted the fennel, pepper and dried chilli flavours of a classic Chettinad chicken curry for this quicker, simpler recipe. Ginger works as a great tenderiser when marinating the chicken. You can marinate this for just 20 minutes or overnight, if you have time.”
Ingredients
- skinless chicken thigh fillets 500g, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ginger coarsely grated to make 1 tbsp
- ground turmeric ½ tsp
- kashmiri chilli powder or mild chilli powder ½ tsp
- fennel seeds ½ tsp
- cinnamon stick 2cm piece
- dried mild red chillies 2
- black peppercorns ½ tsp
- vegetable oil 3 tbsp
- black mustard seeds 1 tsp
- curry leaves 8-10
- onion 1, thinly sliced
- tomatoes 2 small, chopped
- coriander a handful, chopped
- rotis or parathas to serve
Method
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Step 1
Put the chicken in a large bowl along with the ginger, turmeric and chilli powder. Stir well and leave to marinate for 20 minutes.
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Step 2
Use a pestle and mortar to lightly bash the fennel seeds, cinnamon, dried chillies and peppercorns, and set aside.
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Step 3
Heat the oil over a medium heat in a wok or large frying pan. Add the mustard seeds and, when they begin to pop, fry for 10 seconds. Add the crushed spices and fry for a minute. Add the curry leaves and, as they splutter, add the onion. Fry for 7-8 minutes, stirring often. Add the marinated chicken and turn the heat up slightly, frying for 4 minutes. Season with a little salt.
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Step 4
Lower the heat, cover and cook the chicken for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.
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Step 5
Add the tomatoes and continue cooking uncovered for 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle over the coriander and serve with rotis or parathas.
Nutritional Information
- Kcals 250
- Fat 12.6g
- Saturates 1.7g
- Carbs 5.7g
- Sugars 3.8g
- Fibre 2.2g
- Protein 27.4g
- Salt 0.3g
