Instapot Chettinad Chicken Curry Bursting with Flavor and Spice

Chettinad Chicken is a dish that hails from Tamilnadu in South India.  It’s a slow, simmered curry that hits your palate with a delicious taste of fiery heat and appetizing spice.  My fondest memories of eating this curry are at my Brother-in-law’s home in Chennai, India. Long before I knew my husband, I knew his brother, an amazing cook and my Uncle’s best friend. He makes the best biryani I have ever tasted, a skill developed, by apparently watching the professional cooks who make their famous muslim biryani in huge, steel vessels often cooked outdoors over firewood with hot charcoal placed on top to seal in the flavor and help even cooking! Anyway, every time I visit Chennai, I love eating my Brother in law’s culinary creations.  One such time I watched him make this Chettinad curry, as he meticulously chopped the onions, tomatoes, cilantro and turned everything into one flavorful dish. So much enthusiasm went into it. Of late I have been making this curry in the Instapot simply because, I find it seals in the flavor and makes the meat succulent, without overcooking it. A good curry needs a smooth texture and I find that easier to achieve in the Instapot.  The curry in this recipe is so good you can just mop it up with naan, chapati or bread even when the meat is gone. We ate this curry over the last two days running and my family enjoyed it without grumbling that I was serving leftovers.

The key to a good Chettinad curry is raw spice and curry leaves, roasted and blended into a smooth paste.  Roasting brings out the rich flavor of the spice and since I have my own curry leaf plant now, I broke off a few twigs and used about 20 leaves in this curry. Taking your time to cook the onions until they are slightly caramelized is important too. The onions give the curry its body and need to be cooked until they melt down to half the amount.  Lots of fresh peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and dried red chili went into this dish. In my recipe I have also given powder measurements for those who may not have access to the fresh seeds.  You can make this curry stove top too but just make sure you slowly simmer the dish till the oil floats on top and the chicken is cooked tender. A good curry cannot be rushed, and I guess that’s why the Instapot works well with most curries. The method of steam cooking seals in flavor, locks in nutrients and gives you the texture and taste of a slow simmered curry. From my kitchen to yours: a revamped version of my brother in law’s Chettinad chicken curry :)!

Instapot Chettinad Chicken Curry

Print recipe

Serves	6
Dietary	Diabetic, Gluten Free
Meal type	Main Dish
Misc	Gourmet, Serve Hot

Ingredients

• 4 Lbs chicken (pieces)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 20 curry leaves
• 3 Large onions (sliced)
• 2 tomatoes (chopped)
• 3 Dry red chilli
• 3 green chili (optional)
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 Tbsp cumin seeds (or 1 tbsp cumin powder)
• 1 Tbsp coriander seeds (or 1 tbsp coriander powder)
• 1 Tsp fennel seeds (or 1 tsp powdered fennel 11)
• 1 stick cinnamon (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder)
• 1 " ginger (sliced or 1 tbsp ginger paste or grated ginger)
• 6 Cloves garlic (or 1 tbsp garlic paste)
• 4 cloves ((spice))
• 1 Tbsp ghee
• 1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tsp salt
• 1/2 Tsp turmeric
• 1 Tsp peppercorns (or 1 tsp pepper)

Note

You can cook this dish stove top by cooking on slow heat in a covered pot for 30 -40 minutes.  Open the lid and simmer another 10 minutes till you get the desired consistency

Directions

	Dry roast all the dry spices ( cinnamon,cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, red chili, peppercorns, fennel seeds) green and curry leaves
	Add 2 tbsp olive oil and add sliced onion. Saute about 10- 12 minutes o low heat till onions reduce to half the amount and get slightly caramelized
	Add green chili, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, turmeric and saute another 3 to 5 minutes
	Add salt, lemon juice and blend the mixture to a smooth paste in a blender
	Put the blended mixture in the instapot and add chicken pieces. Check the salt and adjust as required
	Set instapot or pressure pot on low for 15 minutes
	After chicken is cooked, let it stay in the instapot till the steam dies down.
	Add chopped cilantro after you open the pot just before serving.

My college kid is home on spring break and my heart feels so full. Having both my children under the same roof even for 10 days makes me feel like I’ve hit the jackpot. I know I will miss her when she returns next week but for now I just want to live in the moment and savor the time: be it going to the gym together, catching up over her favorite Thai food, or  all the four of us snuggling under blankets watching old movies and shows with popcorn, or listening idly to both my girls chatter and do “girl stuff” or just know that my child is sleeping a floor above me while I catch up with work and clients. It’s time I will never get back and I intend to cherish it.  As I drive my youngest to school in silence, she grabs a mouthful of muffin, applies some stuff on her face and frantically checks her bag for homework and I am so very glad  that I have this child at home. This is daughter’s week and I am intent to enjoy each day with a thankful heart and treasure this time with both my girls. Thanks for stopping by to read this post and enjoy your week.

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