PEPPER CHICKEN CHETTINAD

 

 

Pepper Chicken Chettinad also popularly known as Chettinad Milagu Kozhi Varuval in Tamil. It’s an authentic Chettinad pepper chicken dish. This Chettinad delicacy is known world wide for the spicy Chettinad masala taste blended well with the tender chicken. Black pepper corns are the main ingredient for the spicy and hot taste required in this dish.

 

Chettinad is a region of the Sivaganga district of southern Tamil Nadu state in India. Chettinad is well known for its Chettinad cuisine, Mansions and Temples. Chettinad is one of the driest regions of south India. Chettinad cuisine is one of the spiciest and the most aromatic in India. Chettinad cuisine is famous for its use of a variety of spices used in preparing mainly non-vegetarian food.

 

The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas, topped with a boiled egg that is usually considered essential part of a meal. They also use a variety of sun dried meats and salted vegetables, reflecting the dry environment of the region. The meat is restricted to fish, prawn, lobster, crab, chicken and lamb. Chettiars do not eat beef and pork.

 

Chettinad food is one of the spiciest, oiliest and most aromatic in India. In Chettinad food, the most important spices are marathi mokku (dried flower pods), anasipoo (star aniseed) and kalpasi (a lichen known as the "black stone flower", also known as dagad phool). In addition, tamarind, whole red chillies and saunf (fennel seed) are also used along with cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, peppercorn, cumin seeds and fenugreek.

 

Some of the popular Chettinad dishes are varuval. poriyal, and kuzambu. Most of the dishes are eaten with rice and rice based accompaniments such as dosais, appams, idiyappams, adais and idlis. This cuisine has several variations of fish, mutton, and chicken dishes, of which the Chettinad Pepper Chicken is a specialty. To prepare the authentic Pepper Chicken Chettinad, heat a heavy bottomed large.

 

Add oil and once its hot add mustard and cumin seeds. Once they crackle add the whole garam masala (cardamom, clove, cinnamom and bay leaves) and fry. Add the finely chopped onions, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and chopped green chillies and sauté for a while till the onions turns golden brown. Add tomatoes and cooked till soft. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli pd, salt and mix well. Add the chicken to the pan and mix well. Cover and cook over a low-medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. When the chicken is almost done, add the freshly ground black pepper and mix well.

 

Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. The Pepper chicken Chettinad will surely be a delight for all those who love to eat hot and spicy non vegetarian dish. In the authentic style of chettinad preparation, you should always add half the quantity of chili powder first and the remaining part fresh ground black pepper is used. Remember that the crushed pepper should be added at the end to retain its wonderful flavor 

 

Chicken is well known for curing cold and the role of pepper during cold needs no mention. So it is said that this curry will be a blessing in disguise for those people suffering from cold. Chicken is never marinated in Chettinad preparations. There are several versions of this classic dish from the south of India.

 

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. Black peppers are native to India and is extensively cultivated in tropical regions. Dried ground pepper has been used since antiquity for both its flavor and as a medicine. It is one of the most common spices added to European cuisine and its descendants. The spiciness of black pepper is due to the chemical piperine. Black peppercorn is considered spicier than white peppercorn. Pepper has been used as a spice in India since prehistoric times. Pepper has been known to Indian cooking since at least 2000 BC.

 

Black Pepper (or perhaps long pepper) was believed to cure illness such as constipation, diarrhea, earache, indigestion, insomnia, joint pain, liver problems, lung disease, tooth decay, and toothaches. Nevertheless, Black pepper either powdered or its decoction is widely used in traditional Indian medicine and as a home remedy for relief from sore throat, throat congestion, cough etc.

Recipe: pepper chicken chettinad

Summary: chicken cooked in chettinad style

Cooking time (duration): 25

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: lunch

My rating: 5 stars:  ★★★★★ 1 review(s)

Recipe by Vahchef.