Chicken Salna Recipe | Chicken Curry For Parotta

Chicken Salna is a flavorful and aromatic South Indian chicken curry from Tamil Nadu. This easy-to-make chicken Salna recipe combines tender chicken cooked in a spicy, freshly ground coconut masala, resulting in a curry that’s rich in flavor yet light in texture. Perfectly paired with flaky parotta, biryani, dosa, idli, or rice, this dish is a favorite in Tamil households and street-side eateries alike. Learn to prepare this authentic Madurai Chicken Salna with step-by-step photos and a video tutorial.

Chicken Salna is a spicy, thin chicken curry from Tamil cuisine made with chicken, aromatic spices, and a hint of coconut or peanuts for richness. In Madurai, the food capital of Tamil Nadu, parotta with salna is a street food staple, served fresh and hot. Parotta means Indian flatbread.

I first tried this Madurai-style chicken Salna at a busy food stall during a trip, and the combination of fluffy parotta dipped in the flavorful chicken curry was unforgettable. I couldn’t wait to bring a bit of Madurai’s food culture back to my kitchen. For more South Indian classics, try Chicken 65, Chicken Chettinad, or Madras Chicken Curry.

Ingredients Notes

This Tamil Nadu chicken curry recipe is so versatile that you can make it with egg, mutton (lamb), paneer, or vegetables. This parotta salna recipe uses simple spices easily available in your kitchen pantry. It gets its unique flavor from freshly ground coconut and spice paste. You can use the same masala to make Mutton Salna or Empty Salna.

For coconut paste

• Whole Spices: Fennel, cumin, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, and green cardamoms create the authentic Madurai-style Chicken Salna flavor.
• Dried red chilies: Use any dried red chilies like Gundu Milagai (small round-shaped chilies), Kashmiri, or Byadagi. I used Byadagi red chilies to make this chicken salna for parotta.
• Oil: Coconut oil adds a rich flavor to this chicken curry, but any neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point works well.
• Onions: Shallots are ideal for authentic parotta Salna flavor, though red onions are a good substitute.
• Coconut: Freshly grated coconut is key to the rich, creamy texture of the chicken curry.
• Poppy seeds (khus-khus): This is optional. If you do not have it, skip it. Add 4-5 cashews as a substitute.

For making chicken curry for parotta

• Chicken: You’ll need bone-in chicken, cut into curry pieces. Bone-in chicken gives the best flavors to salna curry.
• Spices: This chicken salna recipe uses simple spices like green cardamom and cinnamon.
• Curry leaves: They add authentic South Indian flavors to any curry.
• Tomatoes: Ripe, juicy tomatoes are best. Substitute with tomato paste or passata if needed.
• Spice powders: I used spicy red chili powder and turmeric powder to flavor the curry.

For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below.

How to make Chicken Salna (with Step-by-Step Photos)  

For the Coconut Masala Paste

1) Heat a heavy-bottom pan over medium-low heat. Add spices to make the coconut masala paste mentioned in the recipe card. Dry roast on low heat, stirring continuously, until aromatic. Remove to a plate. Let it cool completely.

2) In the same pan, add 1 teaspoon oil, and heat it over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until lightly golden.

3) Add grated coconut and sauté until golden. Add poppy seeds and roast it for a minute. Remove them to a plate to cool down to room temperature.

4) Transfer the roasted ingredients to a mixer/grinder jar. Add a little water and grind to a fine paste. Coconut masala for chicken curry is ready. Set this aside.

Making the Chicken Salna

1) Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a deep bottom pan/Kadai over medium heat. Add green cardamom and cinnamon, and sauté for 30 seconds. Next, add onions and sauté until golden.

2) Add green chilies and curry leaves. Sauté until golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute.

3) Add tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt and sauté until tomatoes are soft and pulpy.

4) Add red chili powder and turmeric powder. Sauté for a minute.

5) Add chicken, stir, and cook until the color of the chicken changes from pink to white.

6) Add the ground coconut and spice paste. Add ½ teaspoon salt. Combine and cook it for 2 minutes. Add water to adjust the consistency of the chicken curry.

7) Cover and cook the chicken curry until the chicken is cooked. It will take almost 15-20 minutes.

8) Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish the chicken curry with coriander leaves. Serve Chicken Salna with Parotta, Roti, Rice or Dosa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chicken Chalna Variations

• Plain Salna (Empty Salna): This is a simple version of salna that is made without any vegetables or meat.
• Vegetable Salna: This version of salna includes vegetables like potatoes, carrots, or beans, which are cooked in a flavorful gravy.
• Meat Salna: Chicken or mutton can be added to the salna to create a hearty and satisfying meal.

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Recipe Card

Chicken Salna Recipe (Chicken Curry For Parotta)

Learn how to make authentic Chicken Salna, a flavorful South Indian curry from Tamil Nadu. This thin, aromatic chicken curry with coconut masala pairs perfectly with parotta, dosa, or rice. Easy recipe with step-by-step instructions with photos and a quick video tutorial.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main

Cuisine: Indian, Tamil Cuisine

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 305kcal

Author: Preeti

Equipment

• 1 Heavy bottom pan/pot with lid

Ingredients

• Chicken curry cut (500 grams)

For coconut masala paste

• 1 teaspoon fennel
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3 teaspoon coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1- inch cinnamon
• 6 cloves
• 3 green cardamoms
• 6 dried red chilies spicy
• 2 teaspoon oil
• 2 onions sliced
• ½ cup tightly packed grated/scrapped coconut
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds khus-khus (optional)

For chicken curry

• 1 green cardamom
• ½ inch cinnamon
• 2 onions chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 green chili slit
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder add as per taste
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• handful of coriander leaves

Instructions

For the Coconut Masala Paste

• Heat a heavy bottom pan over medium-low heat. Add spices to make the coconut masala paste mentioned in the recipe card. Dry roast on low heat, stirring continuously, until aromatic. Remove it to a plate. Let it cool down completely.
• In the same pan, add 1 teaspoon oil, heat it over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until lightly golden. Add grated coconut and sauté until golden. Add poppy seeds, Roast it for a minute. Remove them to a plate to cool down to room temperature.
• Transfer the roasted ingredients to a mixer/grinder jar. Add a little water and grind to a fine paste. Set this aside.

Making the Chicken Salna

• Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a deep bottom pan/Kadai over medium heat. Add green cardamom and cinnamon, sauté for 30 seconds.
• Next, add onions and sauté until golden.
• Add green chilies and curry leaves. Sauté until golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute.
• Add tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt and sauté until tomatoes are soft and pulpy.
• Add red chili powder and turmeric powder. Sauté for a minute.
• Add chicken, stir and cook until the color of chicken changes from pink to white.
• Add the ground coconut and spice paste. Add ½ teaspoon salt. Combine and cook it for 2 minute.
• Add water to adjust the consistency of the chicken gravy. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked. It will take almost 15-20 minutes.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve Chicken Salna with Parotta, Roti, Rice or Dosa.

Video

Notes

• Dry roast all the whole spices on low-medium heat. Make sure to stir them often so that they get roasted evenly and to avoid the burning of spices.
• For an extra depth of flavor, use bone-in chicken pieces. The bones help release a rich, hearty broth that forms the base of the salna, making the curry more flavorful and authentic.
• Fresh Coconut Paste: For a smoother, richer curry, always use freshly grated coconut instead of desiccated coconut. It gives the salna its signature creaminess and sweetness that balances the heat.
• Allow the salna to sit for a few minutes after cooking to deepen the flavors.
• Salna is a thin curry but you can adjust the consistency to your liking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 582mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1029IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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