Chicken Chettinad — the fiercely spiced chicken preparation of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu — uses a specific spice combination (including kalpasi — stone flower lichen, and marathi mokku — dried flower pods) that produces a flavour profile found nowhere else in Indian cooking. The Chettinad tradition is considered among the most complex and uncompromising in South India — it uses spices that other Indian regional traditions do not, and it uses them in larger quantities.
- **Kalpasi (Parmotrema perlatum):** Stone flower lichen — a specific lichen dried and used as a spice exclusively in Chettinad cooking and a few other South Indian traditions. Its character: earthy, slightly woody, with a unique aromatic that is impossible to describe without reference — it smells of forest floor and old wood, and provides a depth of base-note aroma that no other spice achieves. [VERIFY] Bharadwaj's kalpasi specification. - **Marathi mokku (dried kapok flower):** Another Chettinad-specific spice — adds a slightly floral, slightly bitter aromatic. Available from specialist Indian grocers. - **The pepper:** Black pepper at quantities that would be considered excessive in other Indian traditions — Chettinad pepper chicken uses freshly ground black pepper as a primary flavouring, not an accent. - **The technique:** Shallot-onion base (pearl shallots specifically — they have a sweeter, more complex character than large onions for Chettinad preparations) with ginger, garlic, and the complete Chettinad spice set.
Indian Cookery Course