Chettinad Mutton Chukka

          This is a traditional dry mutton curry in the authentic Chettinad style. Chettinad is a region in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, known for its spicy veg. and non-veg. recipes. Chukka means dry and the mutton is cooked with a concoction of various spices, freshly ground and strongly flavoured by the use of peppercorns. 

           This yummy preparation can be enjoyed with either plain steamed rice, plain Biryani, jeera rice, pulao, dosa, appam, idiyappam, parathas or any Indian bread. So go ahead and give it a try by following a step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 450 gms. mutton on bones, cubed
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 2-3 onions, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 3-4 tbsp. Chettinad spice paste

Chettinad Spice Mix-

• 2-3 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 8-10 dry red chilies (I used Kashmiri red chilies)
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 5-6 cloves
• 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1 javitri (mace)
• 1 tbsp. stone flower
• 1 star anise
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1/2-1 tsp. peppercorns
• 1 tbsp. fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds (opt)

          Dry roast the coconut first till light brown. Then add rest of the ingredients and sauté for a minute on a low flame or till you get a nice aroma coming through. Keep aside to cool. Then grind into a fine paste by adding some water. Set aside.

          Pressure cook the mutton in 1 cup water for 20-25 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. Separate the mutton from the stock and keep aside.

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the chopped onions till light brown. Then add the ground  Chettinad paste. ginger-garlic paste and turmeric powder.

          Sauté till the oil separates. Add the tomatoes and continue to fry on a medium flame till it is mashed.

          Now add the boiled mutton, salt and the curry leaves. Mix everything well and add 1/4 cup water. Cover and simmer till the gravy turns thick. 

          Serve as desired, with any form of rice preparation or Indian bread like plain biryani, pulao, jeera rice, paratha, naan, appam, dosa or idiyappam.

                                Heat oil & fry chopped onion till light brown. 

                    Add ground Chettinad paste, ginger-garlic paste & turmeric powder.
                    Sauté till oil separates. 

                     Add tomatoes & continue to fry on a medium flame till it is mashed.

                Add boiled mutton, salt & curry leaves. Mix well & add 1/3 cup stock. Cover
                and simmer till gravy turns thick. 

              Serve with any kind of Indian bread or rice preparation like plain biryani, pulao,
              jeera rice, paratha, naan, appam, dosa or idiyappam.

Okra Stir Fry - Chettinad Style

          You must have cooked and relished okra in many different ways. Now how about preparing it in a Chettinad style? Spice up this dish by adding some homemade Chettinad spice (recipe given below) to the end product and enjoy it as a side dish with either rice or chapattis.

• 300 gms. okra, chopped into 1" thick piece
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. split urad dal (black gram)
• 1 tsp. garlic, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp. Chettinad powder (see recipe below)
• 1 tsp. red chili flakes (opt)
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

           Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering, add the curry leaves, asafoetida, garlic and urad dal. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Add the okra, salt and turmeric powder. Cover and fry on a medium flame till soft, for 4-5 minutes by stirring at intervals.

          Add the Chettinad spice, red chili flakes and lime juice. Mix well and add the coriander leaves. Serve as a side dish with rice or chapattis.






Chettinad Spice-

• 2-3 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 8-10 dry red chilies
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 1" cinnamon
• 5-6 cloves
• 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1 javitri
• 1 tbsp. stone flower
• 2 marathi moggu
• 1 star anise
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp. pepper corns
• 1 tbsp. fennel seeds

         Dry roast the coconut first till light brown. Then add rest of the ingredients and sauté for a minute on a low flame or till you get a nice aroma coming through. Keep aside to cool. Then grind into a fine powder and store in an air tight container.

Gavar Ki Bhaji - Chettinad Style (Cluster Beans)

          I wanted to make Gawar curry in a different style so my homemade Chettinad masala came in handy and it spiced up this dish. It is a perfect recipe to go with your dal-chawal, curd-rice, sambar-rice or simple plain chapatti / paratha. Make it more spicy and tangy accordingly and relish it. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this fusion recipe. 

• 300 gms. Gavar (Cluster Beans), cut into 1" pieces
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. split urad dal (black gram)
• 1 tsp. garlic, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp. Chettinad powder (see recipe below)
• 1 tsp. red chili flakes (opt)
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Steam the gawar till soft. Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering, add the curry leaves, asafoetida, garlic and urad dal. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Add the gawar, salt and turmeric powder. Cover and fry on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes by stirring at intervals.

          Add the Chettinad spice, red chili flakes and lime juice. Mix well and add the coriander leaves. Serve as a side dish with rice or chapattis.

                           Steam gawar till soft. Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds. Then add 
                           curry leaves, asafoetida, garlic & urad dal. Sauté for a few seconds.

                        Add gawar, salt & turmeric powder. Cover & fry on a medium
                        flame for 4-5 minutes by stirring at intervals.

                               Add Chettinad spice, red chili flakes & lime juice. Mix well.   

                                 Add coriander leaves. 

                                 Serve as a side dish with rice or chapattis.

Chettinad Spice-

• 2-3 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 8-10 dry red chilies
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 1" cinnamon
• 5-6 cloves
• 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1 javitri
• 1 tbsp. stone flower
• 2 marathi moggu
• 1 star anise
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp. pepper corns
• 1 tbsp. fennel seeds

         Dry roast the coconut first till light brown. Then add rest of the ingredients and saute for a minute on a low flame or till you get a nice aroma coming through. Keep aside to cool. Then grind into a fine powder and store in an air tight container.

Chettinad Masala / Spice Mix

          This is the basic aromatic masala / spice mix to prepare any Chettinad recipes. Known for its hot and spicy dish, they are extremely delicious and can be had with both rice and any Indian flat bread. All the spices mentioned below are first dry roasted and then ground to a fine powder. This is then stored in air tight containers for later use. 

• 2-3 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 8-10 dry red chilies
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 1" cinnamon
• 5-6 cloves
• 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1 javitri
• 1 tbsp. stone flower
• 2 marathi moggu
• 1 star anise
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp. pepper corns
• 1 tbsp. fennel seeds

           Dry roast the coconut first till light brown. Then add rest of the ingredients and saute for a minute on a low flame or till you get a nice aroma coming through. Keep aside to cool. Then grind into a fine powder and store in an air tight container.

Lemon Flavoured Chettinad Mutton Chukka (Dry Mutton Curry - South Indian Style)

          Chettinad cuisine is known for its hot and spicy dishes. One of them is the Mutton Chukka, which is a traditional mutton curry cooked in the Chettinad style. Chukka means dry and the mutton is cooked with a wide array of spices, the most important being the special homemade Chettinad spice powder.

          Today I gave a twist to it by adding some kaffir lime leaves. This gave a slight refreshing lemony aroma to the dish. This yummy preparation can be enjoyed with either plain steamed rice, plain Biryani, jeera rice, dosa, appam, parathas or any Indian bread. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 400 gms mutton on bones, cubed
• few kaffir lime leaves
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. chettinad spice
• 1 onion, sliced
• 10-12 roasted cashews

Chettinad Spice Mix-

• 2-3 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 8-10 dry red chilies
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 1" cinnamon
• 5-6 cloves
• 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1 javitri
• 1 tbsp. stone flower
• 2 marathi moggu
• 1 star anise
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp. pepper corns
• 1 tbsp. fennel seeds

          Dry roast the coconut first till light brown. Then add rest of the ingredients and saute for a minute on a low flame or till you get a nice aroma coming through. Keep aside to cool. Then grind into a fine powder and store in an air tight container.

          Pressure cook the mutton in 1 cup water and the lime leaves for 20 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. Discard the leaves and separate the mutton from the stock. keep aside.

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the chopped onions and the curry leaves. Then add the ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste and tamarind paste mixed with 1/4 cup water.

          Saute till the oil separates. Add the turmeric powder and the chettinad powder. Give it a stir and then add the boiled and drained mutton, 1/2 cup of the stock, sliced onion and the cashews.

          Mix well and simmer for 2-3 minutes or till the gravy turns thick. Serve as desired, either with any form of rice preparation or Indian bread.

                               Heat oil & fry chopped onions & curry leaves. 

                               Add ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste & tamarind paste.
                

                               Add turmeric powder & Chettinad powder. Give it a stir.

                                Then add boiled & drained mutton,

                         1/2 cup of stock, sliced onion & cashews. Simmer for 2-3 minutes 
                         or till gravy turns thick. 

                         Serve as desired, either with any form of rice preparation or Indian bread.

Chettinad Prawn Pepper Fry

       
          Chettinad region in the South Indian state of Tamilnadu is known for its fiery non-vegetarian dishes. So here comes my version of a spicy and tangy Prawn Pepper Fry in a true Chettinad style. Do try this delicious recipe and relish with plain steamed rice or with any other form of rice or Indian bread. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 250 gms. prawns, cleaned & deveined
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 2" cinnamon stick
• 5-6 cloves
• 2 star anise
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds
• pinch of fenugreek seeds
• 3 onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp. garlic, sliced
• 1 tbsp. ginger, sliced
• 2-3 green chilies, slit
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. pepper powder, coarsely ground
• handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• juice of 1/2 lime

          Marinate the prawns with a pinch of salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder for 10-15 minutes.

          Make a paste of all the dry powdered spices (garam masala powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and red chili powder) except salt with some water to form a paste. Keep aside.

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the prawns for 2-3 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Heat the remaining oil and temper with whole spices - mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, asafoetida and star anise. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Now add the onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves. Fry till light brown. Add the tomatoes and sauté till it is mashed.

          Add the spice paste and fry till the oil separates. Add the fried prawns and salt to taste. Mix everything well and add 1/2 cup water. 

          Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes on a low flame. When done, add the pepper powder, coriander leaves and lime juice. Give it a stir and serve hot with either rice or chapattis.

                    Marinate prawns with a pinch of salt, turmeric powder & red chili powder.

                         Heat oil & sauté for 2-3 minutes or till it changes colour. keep aside.

                Take turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder &
                 garam masala powder ...

                            ....in a bowl & make a paste by adding some water. Keep aside.

                   Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, 
                   cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, asafoetida & star anise. Allow it to splutter.

                Add onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies & curry leaves. Sauté till light brown.

Add tomatoes & fry till it is mashed.

                                Then add spice paste & fry till oil separates.

                                  Add fried prawns & salt. Mix well.

                           Add 1/2 cup water & cook, covered for 2-3 minutes on a low flame.

                  When done, add coriander leaves, pepper powder & lime juice. Give it a stir.

                               Serve with either rice or chapattis. 

Chettinad Pepper Chicken - South Indian Style

          Here is a spicy and a delicious Pepper Chicken Fry in the Chettinad Style. This region in the Southern State of Tamilnadu is quite popular for its fiery Non-Veg recipes. Obviously there are many versions to this traditional delicacy. 

          But in this version of mine, I made it both spicy and tangy to balance the taste and flavour. Simply enjoy it with Plain steamed rice, plain Biryani or any form of Indian bread. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 500 gms. chicken on bones, cut into medium pieces
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 5-6 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 onions, chopped
• 1-2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 2 tbsp. garlic-ginger paste
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp. coriander powder
• 1 tbsp. cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. garam masala powder
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. pepper powder, coarsely ground
• juice of 1/2 lime
• handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp. butter

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves. Sauté for a few seconds. Add the onion, curry leaves and green chilies. Fry till light brown.

          Add the tomatoes and cook till it is mashed. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and all the dry spices mixed with a little water. Fry till the oil separates.

          Add the chicken and mix everything well. Cover and cook on a low flame for 15-20 minutes or till it turns soft. Keep stirring at intervals and sprinkle water only if required.

          When done, add the pepper powder, coriander leaves, lime juice and butter. Give it a stir and serve with either jeera rice, plain Biryani, naan, tandoori roti or just plain chapatti.

                          Heat oil & temper with bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms & cloves. 
                          Sauté for a few seconds.

                              Add onions, curry leaves & green chilies. Fry till light brown.

                                 Add tomatoes & fry till it is mashed.

                   Add ginger-garlic paste & all dry spices mixed with some water. Fry till
                   oil separates.

                                 Add chicken & mix well.

                                 Cover & cook on a low flame for 15-20 minutes or till done.

                                  It's done now.

                                 Add pepper powder, coriander leaves, lime juice followed....

                                  ...by butter. Mix well.

                   Serve with either jeera rice, plain Biryani, naan, tandoori roti or just plain 
                   chapatti.