(1)    Place a pan on the burner and turn on the flame. Let the pan get hot.

(2)    Add the below to the hot pan –

• Coriander – 3 tablespoons
• Fennel seeds – 1 tablespoon
• Pepper – 1 tablespoon
• Cumin – 1 tablespoon
• Red chilli – 7
• Star anise – 1
• Cinnamon – 1
• Clove – 1

In low flame, start stirring the contents on the hot pan. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes.

(3)    Put this lightly fried spices into our ‘mixer jar’. Run the mixer machine and grind it into a fine powder. Transfer the powder to a small bowl.

(4)    Place again that pan – turn on the flame. Pour oil – 3 tablespoons. Prefer gingelly oil to get more taste and flavour.

(5)    Once the oil heats up, add the below –

• 1 onion – chopped, Stir a little till onion turns a little glossy. Then let’s add tomato.
• 2 tomatoes – chopped, Stir again for 2 minutes more.
• Then add the grated coconuts – 1/4 of a coconut, Stir a little.

(6)    Turn off the flame. Remove the pan from stove. Let the onion, tomato, coconut mix cool a little. Then, grind them to a fine paste using our “Mixer grinder”.

(7)    Place the same pan on burner – turn on the flame. Pour gingelly oil – 4 tablespoons. Let the oil get a little hot.

(8)    Once the oil is hot, turn the flame to low mode, then let’s start adding the below –

• Fennel seeds – 1/4 tablespoon
• Red chilli – 2
• Curry leaves – 10

Sauté a little. Then add –

• Small onions – 150 grams (just peel the skin, don’t cut into small pieces) – Stir till small onions become soft.

(9)    Add the below to the pan –

• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tablespoon, stir the contents in low flame for 60 seconds
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tablespoon
• Onion-tomato-coconut paste – that we prepared in step 6. Add and then stir a little.
• Add the spices mixture powder (that we prepared in step 2, 3)

Stir and mix all the contents well – for 60 seconds.

(10)    Now, add the chicken pieces to the pan. Pour 300 ml of water. (if we need more curry, add 500 ml of water too). Stir and mix the contents well.

(11)   

• Put Salt – 3/4 tablespoon
• Stir and mix well.
• Close the pan with a lid.

(12)    After closing with lid, turn the flame to HIGH mode.

Let the water boil in high flame for 2 minutes. Once we see steam coming out from sides of lid or from the hole in top of our lid, turn the flame to low.

(13)    Let the contents boil and get cooked in low flame for another 15 minutes. Stir occasionally every 5 minutes after removing the lid.

(14)    After 15 minutes, remove the lid, Turn off the flame.

Our Chettinad chicken curry is ready now. We can taste it with white rice, dosa, idli or roti.