There’s something about South Indian food. Something that keeps me coming back. And it’s not just because it’s a change. A change from the formula dishes served at every Indian restaurant in the world. That’s part of it. Can’t deny that. But there’s complexity of flavour here. Spice. Heat. It all works so well. This one just makes me smile.
Indian hotel style for maximum flavour
This chettinad chicken curry is a little different. A new approach to Indian restaurant style cooking. One I am really excited about. A game changer really. I love Indian restaurant style. There’s a huge number of recipes on glebekitchen dedicated to making it. I cook restaurant style when I want to make curry like I get in most Indian restaurants and takeaways. Those lush gravies. That smell. You know what I mean. But when I want to pull out all the stops. When I want to make curries like they serve in the finest Indian restaurants. The best of the best. Then I go hotel style. Hotel curry curry gravy is more work up front. There’s no doubt. But you make enough for multiple curries. And you can freeze it and pull it out as needed. Hotel style on demand. It’s easier later. When you are making the actual curries. The technique is actually simpler. And it isn’t messy like Indian restaurant style. No splatter. Not anymore. The wow factor that hotel style brings should not be discounted either. Hotel style gravy is mother gravy. Like French mother sauces. This is disciplined cooking. Indian style. Did I mention I was super excited about it?
Those wonderful chicken juices
I love cooking Indian restaurant style. Don’t get me wrong. But one thing has always bothered me about it. Indian restaurants pre-cook their chicken. It’s ready to drop into the final curry. It’s faster. Which makes customers happy. It’s also safer in a restaurant environment. No handling raw poultry on a per order basis. And it takes the moisture released by chicken as it cooks out of the curry. So there’s no need to try to reduce the sauce to get the consistency right. But it comes at a price. And that price is all the flavour that is in the juices. That flavour goes down the drain. That’s my problem. Giving up flavour. Can’t stand that. Hotel style takes care of that. It’s designed to accommodate those juices. So your curry consistency is right when the chicken is cooked. All that flavour winds up in the curry. And then in your mouth. Where it belongs.
Fresh ground spices for great chettinad chicken curry
For even more wow I’m adding fresh ground spices to this. Like you weren’t thinking this chettinad chicken curry was already too much work. If you go for it though, you are in for a treat. A real treat. Fresh ground spices take this to a whole different level. I don’t always do this. And I don’t tend to write about it. For two reasons. This is more work. Which makes sense. You never get something for nothing. But I know I already push. Constantly. Always asking you to the go the extra mile. Sometimes I’m lazy too. I get it. More importantly, I don’t want to ruin things for you. Because this really is better. Noticeably better. There is just something about grinding freshly toasted whole spices. It makes a difference. It’s more hassle. No denying that. But once you try it, you’ll see why it’s something you need to think about doing. In this case I don’t feel too bad. I had to do it. It is near impossible to find pre-made chettinad masala. At least where I live. And if you want chettinad chicken curry, it’s hard to get around it. The masala is in the name of the dish…
Chettinad chicken – for when you want something new
Chettinad chicken curry may not be the most common dish on Indian restaurant menus. That’s a shame. It should be. If you are looking for something different. Something delicious. With big South Indian flavours. Then this one is worth a try. Freshly ground chettinad masala. Indian hotel curry gravy. All that flavour from the chicken. How can that not be good?
