Pepper Chicken Recipe (Chicken Kali Mirch)

A pepper chicken recipe (also called murgh kali mirch) that’s made with just five ingredients besides chicken and cooking oil: onions, black pepper, green chillies, yogurt and ginger-garlic paste. No muss, no fuss!

Not in the mood for cooking something that takes hours to make and has an ingredient list a mile long? Try my pepper chicken recipe for a meal that's healthy, easy and super-tasty. It's also called murgh kali mirch or kali mirch chicken (kali mirch - black pepper, murgh - chicken).

Every time I cook pepper chicken, it gives me pleasure to think that a very vibrant dish with such interesting flavors can be made so quickly and easily.

Yes, ginger-garlic paste is something you’ll need to make or buy if you don’t already have a batch in your fridge (it is one of the staples of Indian cooking). But apart from that, the other ingredients are ones that most people already have.

The point is that you don’t have to go grocery shopping for special ingredients just to make it. It’s that straightforward!

One simple hack to make chicken kali mirch very flavorful

I have noticed that pepper chicken tastes much better with freshly ground, coarse black pepper. You can do this in two ways:

1. Use a pepper mill and turn it a few times on the coarse setting.

2. Grind some peppercorns in a spice or coffee grinder. Just a few seconds because, remember, you want coarse granules.

So, if you're planning to use the tired, spent black pepper that's been lying around in your kitchen cabinet for the last few months, ditch it, and get grinding fresh, black peppercorns while making this recipe.

Your pepper chicken will be punchier with this simple hack, I promise you that!

How to make pepper chicken

Preparation (5 minutes)

1. Chop the onion roughly into cubes.
2. Make the ginger garlic paste if using homemade paste -Put equal quantities of peeled ginger and garlic in a blender along with a few tablespoons water and blend to get a smooth puree. Use as required and store the rest in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator.
3. Make the marinade - take a deep bowl and add yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, black pepper and salt. Whisk well.

Note: You can rest the marinated chicken for 10 minutes if you want to, but I have found that it doesn't make a difference if you cook it instantly.

Cooking (25 minutes)

Step 1 - Heat the oil in a medium-sized frypan and add the onion.

Step 2 - Add the marinated chicken to the frypan and cook on high heat for about 2 minutes.

Step 3 - Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for 25 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Step 4 - Add the green chilli and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve hot with warm naan.

Why this pepper chicken recipe works

1. It is a truly easy recipe - no complicated steps and no degree in cooking required!

2. It is quick - 30 minutes is all it takes to put this dish on the table. Not bad, don't you think?

3. It has a few readily available ingredients - no difficult to find stuff that you'll use once in a while.

4. It is made using tools and equipment every home has - a frypan, a grinder and a blender if you're making your own ginger garlic paste is all that's required.

5. It is super tasty - there's something about chicken cooked in yogurt and seasoned with freshly ground pepper and green chillies that's totally out of this world!

6. It's healthy - there are no artificial colors or flavors in this recipe. Just lots of good protein and wholesomeness!

Other chicken recipes you might like

• Madras Chicken - A hot and vibrant chicken curry deeply flavored with spices.
• Chicken Korma - An authentic korma recipe with bone-in chicken in a rich sauce.
• Chicken Malai Tikka - Soft, juicy kababs on skewers that will melt in your mouth.
• Chicken Pulao - An easy, one-pot chicken and rice dish that's perfect for busy weekdays.
• Chicken Patiala - A luscious, restaurant-style chicken curry that goes very well with Indian breads like garlic naan or tandoori roti.

Best side dishes for pepper chicken

Chicken tastes fantastic with some basic bread or plain rice, but if you want to move away from the same old and do things differently, try some new side dishes to go with it. Here are a few recipes that complement it perfectly:

• Whole Wheat Naan - Soft, pillowy and healthy naan bread made with whole wheat flour or atta.
• Cumin Rice - Basmati rice flavored with cumin and other whole spices.
• Onion Raita - A quick and easy yogurt dip that is a must-have with curries. 
• Bombay Potatoes - Crispy and spicy baby potatoes with soft insides.

These are just a few possibilities. Find a lot more recipes for what to serve with chicken curry in this post: 20+ Best Side Dishes for Chicken Curry. You'll never run out of ideas for interesting sides!

Pepper Chicken

Saima Zaidi

A pepper chicken recipe that’s made with just five ingredients besides chicken: onions, black pepper, green chillies, yogurt and ginger-garlic paste. No muss, no fuss!

5 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4

Calories 215 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1.6 lbs chicken bone-in, cut into 14 pieces
• 1 medium onion cut thickly into 4 or 5 pieces
• 2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• 1.5 teaspoon coarse black pepper powder
• 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
• 1 cup yogurt
• ¼ cup cooking oil
• sea salt

Instructions

 

• Take the yogurt in a bowl and add ginger-garlic paste, black pepper and salt.
• Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions. When they turn pink, add the marinated chicken and cook on  high for 3 minutes.
• Cover the pan, lower the heat and cook until the gravy reduces and the oil separates (25 minutes). Stir once or twice.
• Add the green chillies, cook for 2 minutes more and turn off the heat. Serve with warm naan bread.

Notes

1. Ginger-garlic paste is easily available in Indian stores or even big chain supermarkets like Walmart. It is very easy to make at home too. Put equal quantities of peeled ginger and garlic in a blender along with a few tablespoons water and blend to get a smooth puree. Store in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator and use as required.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 6.9gProtein: 20.9gFat: 11.6gSaturated Fat: 2.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6.7gCholesterol: 62.9mgSodium: 610.1mgSugar: 2.5g

Keyword Indian chicken recipe, pepper chicken

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