4 delicious Chettinad recipes that will give your weekend dinner a spicy twist

Believed to be one of the spiciest cuisines in the country, Chettinad food hails from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu, an area which is dominated by the Chettiar community. Vogue spoke to Meenakshi Meyyappan—who runs The Bangala, a heritage boutique hotel in Karaikudi, and has earned the moniker of the grandmother of Chettinad cuisine—and chef C Pandian, to share recipes from their book, The Bangala Table, for you to have a taste of the south in your home this weekend. 

1. Recipe: Chettinad Mutton Fry, or Uppu Kari

“One of our favourite recipes, Uppu Kari is a traditional Chettinad dish and until recently was a well-kept Chettiar secret. It is laden with red chillies—but keep in mind that we use the mild goondu milagai, which adds great flavour without too much heat.”

Ingredients: 

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• 20 dried red chilies, mild, preferably goondu milagi, seeded and broken in 2

• 1 1½-inch piece cinnamon

• 11 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced in thirds, lengthwise

• 20 medium shallots, peeled whole

• ½ tsp turmeric

• ½ medium onion, finely chopped

• 1½ medium tomatoes, sliced in half and then quartered

• 500gm boneless mutton, chopped in 1-inch cubes, including a little bit of liver if possible

• 1 tsp salt, or to taste

Method: 

1. 1

   Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed kadhai or wok over high heat. When hot but not smoking, add the red chillies, stirring to release their fragrance.

2. 2

   Break the cinnamon into a few pieces and add to the kadhai; follow with sliced garlic. Stir to ensure that it does not burn.

3. 3

   Slide in the shallots, onion and turmeric to stir to combine. The kadhai should be smoking hot.

4. 4

   Add the tomatoes and stir. Let the mixture cook for three minutes before adding the mutton and salt. Stir occasionally for about four minutes.

5. 5

   Add one cup of water, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until meat is fork tender. If more water is needed to continue the cooking process, add as required and braise until meat is cooked or, if using a pressure cooker, seal lid and cook for 15 minutes or until the first whistle, and then let simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove lid once cooled.

6. 6

   Braise until water has mostly evaporated and mutton has darkened substantially and is beautifully coated with the sauce.

2. Recipe: Chicken Chettinad Pepper Masala, or Milagu Masala Kozhi

“This is really the flag-bearer of Chettinad food. If there is one dish that people around India and the world know of Chettinad cuisine, Chicken Chettinad Pepper Masala is it! This recipe is the real thing—a far remove from the overly spiced, fiery-hot imitations found in most restaurants. It has balanced flavours with the mildly numbing but subtle heat of black pepper as the underlying essence that continues to linger on the palate, all wonderfully soaked up by the chicken.”

Ingredients for wet paste: 

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 2 tsp black peppercorns

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 4 dried red chillies, mild preferably goondu milagai, whole

• 1 tsp coriander seeds

• ½ tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp garlic, peeled and grated

• ½ tsp ginger, peeled and grated

Ingredients: 

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• 1 2-inch piece cinnamon

• 1 ½ medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

• 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste

• 600gm chicken, cut into 8 pieces

Method: 

1. 1

   Place a heavy tava or flat pan on low heat and dry roast the fennel seeds, peppercorns, cumin seeds, dried red chillies and coriander seeds until fragrant and slightly darkened. Grind them on an ammi or mortar-pestle, adding a little water or them in a wet grinder/blender to make a paste. Add turmeric, garlic and ginger to the wet paste and mix well. Set aside.

2. 2

   Place a large kadhai or wok over high heat and add oil. When hot but not smoking, add cinnamon, cardamom and onion and stir. Reduce heat to medium and sauté for about four minutes or until onion is lightly coloured before adding the tomato purée. Sauté for an additional minute.

3. 3

   Add the reserved wet masala paste to the kadhai, breaking it apart with a spook and stirring well to incorporate. Continue to cook for 10-12 minutes, scraping the bottom of the kadhai, till the oil separates from the masala. The mixture should look well cooked and should have darkened.

4. 4

   Sprinkle in the sea salt and stir. Then add the chicken, stirring to coat well with the mixture. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes before adding 1½ cups of water. Scrape the bottom of the kadhai to deglaze and bring to a boil on high heat. Let boil for 3-4 minutes, then turn heat down to low and cook for 15-20 minutes, covered; stir occasionally.

5. 5

   Uncover and reduce till the sauce thickens to coat the chicken.

6. 6

   Remove from heat. Serve immediately.

3. Recipe: Chow Chow (Chayote) Kootu

“It is delicately flavoured, creamy, light and overall delicious. The chow chow at The Bangala comes in fresh from Kodiakanal, high up in the nearby Western Ghats. Kootu is a mild comfort. Neither spicy nor rich—it's common across communities in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.” 

Ingredients: 

• 3 chow chow, peeled and chopped into 1 ½ inch cubes

• ½ heaping cup moong dal, hulled

• ½ medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

• 4 fresh green chillies, slit in half lengthwise

• 1 ½ tsp sea salt, or to taste

Ingredients for tempering: 

• ¼ cup vegetable oil

• 2 dried red chillies, mild, preferably goondu milagai

• 1 ¾ tsp urad dal, hulled, split

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp ghee

• 12 curry leaves

• ½ cup thick coconut milk, 1st press

Method: 

1. 1

   Submerge diced chow chow in water so it does not discolour.

2. 2

   Rinse dal well, 2 to 3 times till the water runs clear, and clean it carefully to remove any stones or debris. Add dal to a large saucepan with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or until the dal is creamy and cooked. Alternatively, if using a pressure cooker and place on high heat.  After the first whistle, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool before opening the lid.

3. 3

   In a medium saucepan over high heat, add 1 cup water, onion, green chillies and drained chow chow. Boil for 3 minutes, covered, before adding letting cook another 2 minutes with the lid on.

4. 4

   Add the cooked dal to the chow chow mixture and stir well. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to let kootu simmer for 7 to 9 minutes.

5. 5

   For the tempering, add oil to a small kadhai or wok over high heat. When hot but not yet smoking, slide in the red chillies, urad dal, cumin, ghee and curry leaves— careful of the splattering oil. Stir quickly and pour it over the kootu.

6. 6

   Return kootu to heat and add coconut milk, mixing well to combine. Check seasoning, add more salt if needed. Stir occasionally for about two minutes till the consistency is like that of a thick stew. Remove from heat and serve.

4. Recipe: Sweet Mango or Mangai Vellam Pachadi

Ingredients: 

• 2 medium raw mangos, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces

• ¼ heaping tsp sea salt

• 1 cup jaggery

Ingredients for tempering: 

• ¾ cup vegetable oil

• 1 ½ tsp black mustard seeds

• 6 dried red chillies, mild, preferably goondu milagai, whole

• 1 tsp urad dal, hulled, split

• 15 curry leaves

Method: 

1. 1

   In a medium saucepan over low hear, add 1 cup water. Once hot, add the raw mango and salt; turn up heat to bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer rapidly for 5 minutes over low heat, or until very soft to the touch.

2. 2

   Add jaggery and mix well, being careful not to break up the mango. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add up to ½ cup water if the mixture starts drying out. Leave on low heat.

3. 3

   In a medium kadhai or wok over medium-high heat, add ¼ cup oil. When hot, add the mustard seeds. Once they crackle, follow by adding the red chillies and urad dal.

4. 4

   Sauté for 30 seconds, then add the curry leaves. Give the tempering a good stir and pour over the mango-jaggery mixture in the saucepan; stir well to mix. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Also read: 

5 chicken curry recipes you can make at home to spice up your dinner this weekend

4 quick and easy one pot recipes that are perfect for when you can't deal with washing more dishes

4 quick and easy-to-make dinner ideas for when you're tired of cooking in the lockdown