Keto Chicken Chettinad

Chettinad chicken demands spice and aromatics ground into a paste: coriander seeds, cumin, dried red chillies, fenugreek—each one toasted to wake it up before grinding, so the paste is bitter-warm and complex. Chicken thighs (never breast for this dish) stay succulent and tender as they braise in this dark, fragrant gravy, while the fat renders and marinates the meat from the inside out. The result tastes like it's been cooking for hours, though the method is quick and honest.

This is serious keto: 38g of protein and 28g of fat per serving means this 420-calorie plate will steady you for a full day. The spices—fenugreek especially—add an almost medicinal warmth, and the bite of lime juice at the end cuts through richness without adding carbs (just 8g net carbs per serve). The sauce is lean enough to pour over cauliflower rice or thick enough to eat with your hands if you keep the dish whole. Make the paste fresh (or do it a few hours ahead), because store-bought spice pastes often hide added sugar. This is not a weeknight dish—35 minutes and full presence—but it's a centerpiece.