Deeply seasoned Chettinad pepper chicken curry is a fiery, one-pot South Indian curry with this amazing sauce seasoned with fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, and plenty of black pepper. You can adjust the heat to preference, if you don’t want it super hot.
This is a super delicious, peppery Chikin curry. I’m making mine with tofu, but you can use seitan, soy curls, chickpeas, other beans, chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, or even roasted vegetables. There is a ton of flavor in the sauce and the marinade and all of that elevates the dish.
Chettinad cuisine is from one of the southern states of India, and it is from a region within the state of Tamil Nadu. There are multiple cuisines within the Indian state cuisines as well. Sometimes there are even cuisines that are specific to a city, so there are lots of variations and different cuisines in India, and many have their own sets of spice blends, methods, ingredients and spices that they use.
In this recipe, we are using fennel seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, and lots of black pepper to make this amazing flavor profile that makes a fantastic curry. If you want the curry to be creamier, you can add some coconut milk or non dairy yogurt to it. That will also help to tone down the heat, if you like.
To reduce the heat further, you can omit the cayenne from the marinade, as well as reduce the black pepper and red chili or pepper flakes.
Why You’ll Love Chettinad Pepper Chicken
- one-pot Indian curry with amazing, peppery flavor!
- versatile: choose your favorite plant-based protein or make it with roasted vegetables
- adjust the heat to your preference
- naturally gluten-free and nut-free with easy soy-free option
More South Indian Curries
For the Sauce
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 green cardamom pods, opened slightly
- 2″ cinnamon stick
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 1 dried red chili, such a cayenne or use Kashmiri chili for less heat, or 1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes. omit for less heat
- 10 curry leaves, fresh, frozen or dried
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste, or use 4 cloves of garlic, minced, and 1” of ginger, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water, or more if needed, or use a mix of water and coconut milk/ non dairy cream
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- cilantro and more lime juice, for garnish
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Cook the tofu.
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Press and tear the tofu, if you haven’t already, and add to a bowl. Add the yogurt and toss well to coat.
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In a small bowl, add all of the spices under spice mix, and mix really well. Reserve a teaspoon of this spice mix to add to the sauce, then add the rest of the spice mix to the tofu, and toss well to coat. Now you can bake the tofu or pan fry it. To bake, add two teaspoons of oil to the mix, and toss well again. Spread this onto parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 400° F (205° C) for 20 to 25 minutes. To pan fry, heat the 2 teaspoons of oil on a skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu to the skillet and cook, flipping every 2 to 3 minutes or so, for about 8 minutes. The tofu is ready when most of the edges are nice and golden. Remove the tofu from the pan, and set it aside while you make the sauce.
Make the Chettinad pepper sauce.
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Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add the fennel seeds and cook for 15 seconds or so, or until the fennel seeds start changing color. Then, add the green cardamom and cinnamon stick and mix in. Cook for another 10seconds, until the cinnamon stick gets fragrant, and the fennel seeds have started to change the color significantly. Now, mix in the onion and a good pinch of the salt. Cook for 2 minutes, then mix in the curry leaves and the dried red chili or chili flakes, and cook until the onion is starting to turn golden. Add splashes of water in between to help the onion cook evenly, 5 to 7 minutes.
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Then mix in the black pepper and the reserved spice mix from the marinade. Mix in the ginger garlic paste and a splash of water. (If you’re using minced ginger and garlic, cook the mixture for another minute or so.) Add in the tomato, the remaining salt, and a splash of water and mix and cook until the tomatoes are jammy. Press the larger pieces of tomato, so that they turn jammy, as well, 3 to 5 minutes. And then add in the 1 cup of water and lime juice, mix in, and bring to a boil.
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Fold your crisped up tofu into the sauce, then cover and let it simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes. For creamier, add in 3 tablespoons coconut cream, or non dairy yogurt. Switch off the heat, and garnish with cilantro and more lime juice, if needed, and serve with some naan, dosa, or rice.
To make this soy-free, use seitan, pumpkin seed tofu, chickpea tofu, or a soy-free vegan chicken substitute. You can also use chickpeas, other beans, or roasted vegetables instead of the tofu. If you use chickpeas or beans, you don’t need to marinate, but then use all of the marinade mixture, adding it into the sauce when you add the tomato.
Calories: 154kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 453mg, Potassium: 244mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 560IU, Vitamin C: 64mg, Calcium: 195mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- tofu – Use firm or extra firm tofu, and press it for 15 minutes, then tear into 3/4″ organic pieces.
- non-dairy yogurt – To coat the tofu.
- ground spices – For the Chettinad chicken spice mix, you will use black pepper, coriander, ground fennel seed, cayenne or Kashmiri chili powder, and salt. For the sauce, you’ll need more black pepper and salt.
- oil – To sauté.
- whole spices – For the sauce, you start with a whole spice layer: fennel seeds, green cardamom, a cinnamon stick, and curry leaves.
- aromatics – You will brown some onion and use ginger garlic paste or minced ginger and garlic in the sauce.
- dried red chili – You can use cayenne or a Kashmiri chili. The latter will make the dish less spicy.
- tomato – Adds umami and moisture to the sauce.
- lime juice – For tang in the sauce.
- garnishes – You’ll top the finished curry with more lime juice and some fresh cilantro.
💡 Tips
- When roasting the whole spices, make sure to stir frequently to prevent burning.
- Adding splashes of water while you sauté the onion will help it brown evenly without sticking to the pan.
- When cooking down the tomato, you want them to have a really nice, jammy texture before moving on. Pressing the larger pieces, so they have more surface area exposed to the heat, can help them get to that consistency faster.
How to Make Chettinad Pepper Chicken Curry
Press and tear the tofu, if you haven’t already, and add to a bowl. Add the yogurt and toss well to coat. In a small bowl, add all of the spices and mix really well. Reserve a teaspoon of this spice mix to add to the sauce, then add the rest of the spice mix to the tofu, and toss well to coat. Now you can bake the tofu or pan fry it.
To bake, add two teaspoons of oil to the mix, and toss well again. Spread this onto parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 400° F (205° C) for 20 to 25 minutes. To pan fry, heat the 2 teaspoons of oil on a skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu to the skillet and cook, flipping every 2 to 3 minutes or so, for about 8 minutes. The tofu is ready when most of the edges are nice and golden. Remove the tofu from the pan, and set it aside while you make the sauce.
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add the fennel seeds and cook for 15 seconds or so, or until the fennel seeds start changing color. Then, add the green cardamom and cinnamon stick and mix in. Cook for another 15 seconds, until the cinnamon stick gets fragrant, and the fennel seeds have started to change the color significantly. Now, mix in the onion and a good pinch of the salt.
Cook for 2 minutes, then mix in the curry leaves and the dried red chili or chili flakes, mix and cook until the onion is starting to turn golden. Add splashes of water in between to help the onion cook evenly. 5 to 7 minutes. Then mix in the black pepper and the reserved spice mix . Mix in the ginger garlic paste and a splash of water. (If you’re using minced ginger and garlic, cook the mixture for another minute or so.)
Add in the tomato, the remaining salt, and a splash of water and mix and cook until the tomatoes are jammy. Press the larger pieces of tomato, so that they turn jammy, as well, 3 to 5 minutes. And then add in the 1 cup of water and lime juice, mix in, and bring to a boil.
Fold your crisped up tofu into the sauce, then cover and let it simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes. For creamier, fold in 3-4 tablespoons of coconut cream or non dairy yogurt. Switch off the heat, and garnish with cilantro and more lime juice, if needed, and serve with some naan, dosa, or rice.
What to Serve with Chettinad Pepper Chicken
Serve this with naan, dosa, or rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is naturally nut-free and gluten-free.
To make this soy-free, use seitan, pumpkin seed tofu, chickpea tofu, or a soy-free vegan chicken substitute. You can also use chickpeas, other beans, or roasted vegetables instead of the tofu. If you use chickpeas or beans, you don’t need to marinate, but then use all of the marinade mixture, adding it into the sauce when you add the tomato.
