It is needless to mention the specialty of this item in chettinad cusine.The mouth watering taste of this dish is known all over the world .All non vegetarians in Asia for sure would have tasted this at least once. There are hundreds of recipes for chettinad chicken on the net written by almost all food bloggers. Though many of them are similar to the original one. I have tried to find out the original recipe from my mother and grand mother and has presented the authentic chettinad recipe. For the authentic taste, the masala has to be grinded in the hand grinder. But these days it is rather impossible and hence has to be satisfied with the taste of the masala made in the mixie

Ingredients
Chicken-750 gms
Small onion 30 or big onion 2
Tomatoes-2
Garlic 20 pods



To grind No1
Ginger ½ inch piece
Small onion-10
Garlic-10 pods
Green chillies-2
Chillie powder-1 table spoons
Coriander powder-2 table spoons

To grind No2
Coconut grated-5 table spoons
Cashew nut-5 or kasa kasa-2 teaspoons
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
To season
Cinnamon-2 pieces
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Clove-2
Cardamom-2
Birinji leaf-little
Mint leaf-handful
Curry leaf little

Traditionally chicken is not marinated before cooking in Chettinad chicken.As they used to cook in low fire for a long time in olden days the chicken will get the salt and hot taste once it gets cooked. These days the chicken we use is tender and gets cooked fast in gas stove. So I feel it is better to marinate the chicken for an hour before cooking. If you do not find time to marinate, then no problem.
To marinate
1 teaspoon kuzhambu milagai thool(the powder used for sambar)
Salt-1 teaspoon
Curd little
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon


Procedure
Mince the onion, garlic and tomatoes.
Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the curry with the items given in ‘to season’ in 2 tablespoons of oil.
Add the onions and saute with a pinch of salt for 3 minutes.
When the onions turn transparent add the garlic, sauté for some time
Add the chopped tomatoes. Sauté till the whole thing gets smashed.
Add the grinded paste of items given in No 1. Sauté it for a while.
Now add the chicken pieces and nicely mix all the masala over the chicken pieces.
You can see lot of water coming out of the chicken. Reduce the flame and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Once you find that the chicken pieces are almost cooked increase the flame so that the gravy becomes thick.
Once the curry gets thick add the masala grinded with the items given in No2 and mix nicely
Cook for another 5 minutes.
If you need the curry to be little watery add the masala little earlier and switch off when the curry is in the desired consistency.


The curry should be cooked till the oil seperates