Chettinad Masala (Homemade Curry Powder Recipe) - Flavours Treat (2024)

FAQs

What is the flavor of Chettinad? ›

At the heart of Chettinad cuisine lies its exquisite spice blends. It's famous for its masalas, which are made by grinding a mix of roasted spices such as coriander seeds, cumin, fennel seeds, black pepper, and cinnamon. The star spice of Chettinad cuisine is the fiery red chilli, which adds a bold kick to the dishes.

In Chettinad food, major spices used include anasipoo (star aniseed), kalpasi (a lichen), puli (tamarind), milagai (chillies), sombu (fennel seed), pattai (cinnamon), lavangam (cloves), punnai ilai (bay leaf), karu milagu (peppercorn), jeeragam (cumin seeds), and venthayam (fenugreek).

Ultimately both curry powder and masala are blended spice mixes that can be added to food to pack a spicy and aromatic kick. In the end, the difference boils down to the different mix of spices, masala being more of a warming aromatic blend and curry powder being more of an earthy blend.

What's In Curry Powder? Curry powders usually consist of turmeric, cumin, ginger, and black pepper. Some blends also incorporate garlic and cinnamon. What all curry powders share is a sweet warmth and pleasant pungency that adds a toasty depth to everything it touches.

The Chettiars are known to be traders in salt and spices and this is reflected in the Chettinad cuisine. Meals also consist of cooked lentils, Brinjal curry, drumstick sambar, ghee for flavouring rice, and sweet meals like payasam and paal paniyaram.

Chicken Chettinad is a spicy chicken gravy from the Chettinad region. This is South India's most popular chicken dish cooked in Chettinad masalas. Chettinad chicken gravy is the most ordered dish in restaurants and popular dish all over south india.

Chettinad cuisine originates from the Chettinad region in the Sivagangai district of the state of Tamil Nadu in South India. This cuisine is one of the most renowned in South Indian food and has a rich history. Traditionally, the Chettiars traded salt and spices that added a rich flavor to the food.

To Make The Chettinad Masala Paste

Whole Spices – You will need coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds (saunf), white poppy seeds (khus khus), cinnamon (dalchini), star anise (chakri phool), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), black peppercorns (kali mirch), and cloves (laung).

Common types of curry include yellow curry, green curry, and red curry. Different regions and cuisines have unique curry blends, so you can also find Japanese curry powder, Jamaican curry powder, and (of course) Indian curry powder.

While curry powder's aromatic qualities are different from garam masala, the former offers a similar complexity of flavors and aromas. Curry powder works well with a wide range of dishes, and includes some of the key ingredients of garam masala. To replace garam masala with curry powder in your recipe, use a 1:1 ratio.

How to add flavor to curry? ›

The easiest way to fix a bland and tasteless curry is by adding spices like red chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, curry leaves and turmeric. Just make a quick tempering and pour over the curry to give it a nice punch of spices and herbs.

The actual sweetness and creaminess of such curries meanwhile, usually comes from fried onions and either cashews and/or dairy products.

Thai dishes have won over the hearts of foodies all over the world.

The spices and herbs in chicken Chettinad curry help in reducing inflammation, promoting your immunity, and enhancing your cognitive functioning.

It consists of chicken marinated in yogurt, turmeric and a paste of red chillies, kalpasi, coconut, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black pepper, ground nuts, onions, garlic and sesame oil. It is served hot and garnished with coriander leaves, accompanied with boiled rice or paratha.

This unique blend of spices is supposed to hit many different notes of taste: It's sweet, warm, earthy, and even slightly floral. Blends vary from family to family and recipe to recipe, so if you make it at home, then buy it at the store, then try it at a restaurant, you might never have the same blend twice!