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Chettinad pepper chicken curry in the pan after cooking
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5 from 9 votes

Chettinad Pepper Chicken Curry (Tofu in Fennel Cardamom Black Pepper Sauce)

Deeply seasoned Chettinad pepper chicken curry is a fiery, one-pot South Indian curry with this amazing sauce seasoned with fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, and plenty of black pepper. You can adjust the heat to preference, if you don’t want it super hot.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: dinner, Main, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, South Indian
Keyword: chettinad pepper chicken, chettinad pepper chicken curry
Servings: 4
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the Tofu

  • 14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu pressed 15 minutes, then torn into organic 3/4” shapes
  • 1 tablespoon non-dairy yogurt

For the Spice Mix:

  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1/8 teaspoon fennel seed powder or crushed fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or use Kashmiri chili powder for less heat
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Sauce

  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 green cardamom pods opened slightly
  • 2" cinnamon stick
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 dried red chili such a cayenne or use Kashmiri chili for less heat, or 1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes. omit for less heat
  • 10 curry leaves fresh, frozen or dried
  • 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste or use 4 cloves of garlic, minced, and 1” of ginger, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup chopped tomato
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup water or more if needed, or use a mix of water and coconut milk/ non dairy cream
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • cilantro and more lime juice for garnish
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook the tofu.

  • Press and tear the tofu, if you haven't already, and add to a bowl. Add the yogurt and toss well to coat. 
  • In a small bowl, add all of the spices under spice mix, and mix really well. Reserve a teaspoon of this spice mix to add to the sauce, then add the rest of the spice mix to the tofu, and toss well to coat. Now you can bake the tofu or pan fry it.
    To bake, add two teaspoons of oil to the mix, and toss well again. Spread this onto parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 400° F (205° C) for 20 to 25 minutes.
    To pan fry, heat the 2 teaspoons of oil on a skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu to the skillet and cook, flipping every 2 to 3 minutes or so, for about 8 minutes. The tofu is ready when most of the edges are nice and golden. Remove the tofu from the pan, and set it aside while you make the sauce.

Make the Chettinad pepper sauce.

  • Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add the fennel seeds and cook for 15 seconds or so, or until the fennel seeds start changing color. Then, add the green cardamom and cinnamon stick and mix in. Cook for another 10seconds, until the cinnamon stick gets fragrant, and the fennel seeds have started to change the color significantly. Now, mix in the onion and a good pinch of the salt. Cook for 2 minutes, then mix in the curry leaves and the dried red chili or chili flakes, and cook until the onion is starting to turn golden. Add splashes of water in between to help the onion cook evenly, 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Then mix in the black pepper and the reserved spice mix from the marinade. Mix in the ginger garlic paste and a splash of water. (If you're using minced ginger and garlic, cook the mixture for another minute or so.) Add in the tomato, the remaining salt, and a splash of water and mix and cook until the tomatoes are jammy. Press the larger pieces of tomato, so that they turn jammy, as well, 3 to 5 minutes. And then add in the 1 cup of water and lime juice, mix in, and bring to a boil. 
  • Fold your crisped up tofu into the sauce, then cover and let it simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes. For creamier, add in 3 tablespoons coconut cream, or non dairy yogurt. Switch off the heat, and garnish with cilantro and more lime juice, if needed, and serve with some naan, dosa, or rice. 

Video

Notes

This recipe is naturally nut-free and gluten-free.
To make this soy-free, use seitan, pumpkin seed tofu, chickpea tofu, or a soy-free vegan chicken substitute. You can also use chickpeas, other beans, or roasted vegetables instead of the tofu. If you use chickpeas or beans, you don’t need to marinate, but then use all of the marinade mixture, adding it into the sauce when you add the tomato.

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 453mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 560IU | Vitamin C: 64mg | Calcium: 195mg | Iron: 2mg