Chicken Salna for Parotta is a popular Tamil Nadu-style chicken curry, especially loved at roadside eateries and parotta shops. This Madurai-style chicken salna is a thin, spicy chicken curry made with tender chicken and freshly ground coconut masala.
Serve chicken salna with parotta, or enjoy it with biryani, dosa, idli, or rice. Here's how to make this easy parotta salna recipe with step-by-step photos and a video recipe.
The chicken curry for parotta is thin yet packed with flavor, with aromatic spices and freshly ground coconut giving it a delicious texture. This chicken salna recipe is so versatile that you can make it with egg, mutton, paneer, or vegetables.
The best part of this parotta salna recipe? This South Indian chicken curry is easy to make, customizable to your spice preference, and tastes even better the next day. Perfect for meal prepping or entertaining guests. For more South Indian classics, try Chicken Chettinad, Chicken 65, Pepper Chicken (Chicken Milagu Varuval), or Madras Chicken Curry.
Madurai is famous for its street food, and parotta with salna is a popular combination at roadside eateries, served fresh and hot. Parotta means Indian flatbread.
I first tried this parotta with chicken salna at a busy Madurai food stall during our trip, and the combination of parotta dipped in the flavorful salna curry was unforgettable. I couldn't wait to bring a bit of Madurai's food culture back to my kitchen.
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Ingredients Notes
This parotta salna recipe combines the delicate flavors of fennel, pepper, and cardamom with juicy chicken to create a delicious chicken curry. You can use the same masala to make Mutton Salna or Empty Salna.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredients, quantities, and a printable version.
- Chicken: I have used bone-in chicken, cut into curry pieces for this recipe. The bones help release a rich, hearty broth that forms the base of the salna, making the chicken curry more flavorful.
- Whole Spices: Fennel, cumin, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, and green cardamoms create the hotel-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 recipe for parotta.
- Oil: Coconut oil adds a rich flavor to this Madurai parotta salna, but any neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point works well.
- Onions: Shallots are ideal for this salna recipe, though red onions are a good substitute.
- Coconut: Freshly grated coconut adds body and a mild sweetness.
- Poppy seeds (khus-khus): If you do not have them, skip. Add 4-5 cashews as a substitute.
How to make Chicken Salna for Parotta (with Step-by-Step Photos)
1) Heat a heavy-bottomed 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 (images 1 & 2).
2) In the same pan, add 1 teaspoon oil and heat it over medium heat. Add sliced onion and sauté until lightly golden (image 3).
3) Add grated coconut and sauté until golden. (image 4). Add poppy seeds and roast them for a minute (image 5). 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 (image 6). Coconut masala for salna curry is ready. Set this aside.
5) Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a deep-bottomed pan/Kadai over medium heat. Add green cardamom and cinnamon, and sauté for 30 seconds. Next, add the chopped onions and sauté until golden (image 7).
6) Add green chilies and curry leaves. Sauté until golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute (image 8).
7) Add tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt and sauté until tomatoes are soft and pulpy (image 9).
8) Add red chili powder and turmeric powder. Sauté for a minute (images 10 & 11).
9) Add chicken, stir, and cook until the color of the chicken changes from pink to white (image 12).
10) Add the ground coconut and spice paste. Add ½ teaspoon salt. Combine and cook for 2 minutes. Add enough water to get a thin, pourable curry consistency. (images 13 & 14).
11) Cover and cook the chicken curry until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes (image 15). Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish chicken salna with coriander leaves (image 16). Serve salna with parotta, roti, rice, or dosa.
Tips to make the Best Chicken Salna
- Dry roast all the whole spices on low-medium heat. Make sure to stir them often so they get roasted evenly and to avoid burning the spices.
- For a smoother, richer curry, always use freshly grated coconut instead of desiccated coconut. It gives the salna creaminess and sweetness that balances the heat.
- Allow the salna to sit for a few minutes after cooking to deepen the flavors.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. Substitute coconut with cashew or almond paste for richness.
You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Freeze it, and it stays good for a month.
No, it is a moderately spicy dish. You can reduce the spiciness of the salna by reducing the amount of red chili powder and pepper. Use a mild variety of chilies and deseed them. This South Indian chicken curry is light, flavorful, and has a gentle kick of spice.
Recipe Card
Chicken Salna for Parotta
Video
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 and heat it over medium heat. Add sliced 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 the chopped onions and sauté until golden.
- Add green chilies and curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds. 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 enough water to get a thin, pourable curry consistency. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve Chicken Salna with Parotta, Roti, Rice or Dosa.
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 burning the 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.
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other ways to make Salna
- Plain salna (empty salna): Skip the chicken and make the coconut-spice gravy on its own.
- Vegetable salna: Add potatoes, carrots, or other vegetables for a vegetarian version.
- Mutton salna: Use mutton instead of chicken and adjust the cooking time until tender.
Sahira
I tried it. Came out well.
Preeti
Glad you liked it.