Dinner · 50 min · indian

Chicken Chettinad

Chicken thighs does the heavy lifting here, with coconut rounding it out. An Indian dinner that takes 50 minutes, start to finish. The macros do the talking: 40g protein, 10g carbs, and 24g fat in every 420-calorie serving. Leftovers keep well, so it doubles as next-day lunch without any extra work.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb Chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup Coconut
• 2 tsp Black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp Coriander seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Fennel seeds
• 4 Dried red chilies
• 1 Onion
• 2 Tomatoes
• 12 Curry leaves
• 3 tbsp Sesame oil

Steps

1. Dry-roast the coriander, cumin, fennel, peppercorns, chilies, and grated coconut in a heavy pan until the coconut turns chestnut-brown, about 6 minutes — this roasted masala is the entire personality of the dish. Cool and grind to a coarse powder.
2. Heat the sesame oil and fry the curry leaves and sliced onion 8 minutes until the onion edges char slightly.
3. Add the chicken and sear 6 minutes until it picks up color on all sides.
4. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and half the ground masala; cook 8 minutes until the tomatoes dissolve into a dark, clinging sauce.
5. Add a cup of water, cover, and simmer 20 minutes until the chicken is tender and the oil rises to the surface.
6. Stir in the remaining masala for the last 5 minutes — the late addition keeps the pepper heat bright instead of muddy.
7. Rest 10 minutes and serve with parotta, dosa, or steamed rice.

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