Chicken Kali Mirch (Indian Pepper Chicken Recipe)

Chicken kali mirch, also called murgh kali mirch, is the Indian version of the ever popular pepper chicken. It's made with a few common ingredients and comes together very easily. Plus it's packed with flavor. No muss, no fuss! Instant pot instructions included.

Two more chicken curries you might enjoy are palak chicken (chicken simmered in spinach and cashews) and this boneless chicken handi.

Not in the mood for cooking something that takes hours to make and has an ingredient list a mile long? Try my pepper chicken 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, most people will already have the other ingredients.

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

Why this recipe works

• A truly easy recipe - no complicated steps and no degree in cooking required!
• Quick - 30 minutes is all it takes to put this dish on the table. Not bad, don't you think?
• Made with a few readily available ingredients - no difficult to find stuff that you'll use once in a while.
• Easy tools - a frypan is all you need. Plus a blender if you're making your own ginger garlic paste.
• 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!
• Healthy - there are no artificial colors or flavors in this recipe. Just lots of good protein and wholesomeness!

Ingredients

• Yogurt - imparts a tanginess to the chicken.
• Ginger garlic paste - use store-bought or make your own. See prep below.
• Black pepper - freshly cracked, coarse granules.
• Sea salt - salt makes everything taste better.
• Cooking oil - I like to use light olive oil for all my curries.
• Red onion
• Chicken - skinless and bone-in. Bone-in chicken has the best flavor. If you only have boneless chicken, however, you can use it in a pinch.
• Green chillies - add a bit of extra heat and flavor.

Instructions

Preparation (5 minutes)

1. Chop the onion roughly.
2. Make the ginger garlic paste (homemade): 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. Skip this step if using store-bought paste.
3. Make the marinade and add the chicken: in a deep bowl, add yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, black pepper and sea salt, and whisk. Add the chicken and make sure to coat it well with the marinade.

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 even 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.

A simple hack to make chicken kali mirch very flavorful

I have noticed that chicken kali mirch 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!

Instant pot instructions

Now, even though I posted this recipe for the stovetop, I get a lot of requests to make it adaptable for the instant pot too. So, here are the instructions for cooking it in the instant pot:

1. The prep steps will remain the same, of course.

2. Turn on your instant pot to sauté and add the oil in the steel insert. As soon as the oil is hot, add the onions and fry for about a minute on high.

3. Add the marinated chicken and cook on high heat for about two minutes.

4. Cancel sauté and make sure to give everything a good stir. Deglaze the pot. The yogurt will release a lot of liquid which should be enough to pressure cook the chicken.

5. Secure the lid and make sure the steam release vent is set to 'sealing'. Press the pressure cooking button (high) and set the timer to 5 minutes.

6. Once the timer beeps, wait for 5 minutes before releasing the steam and opening the pot. Switch back to sauté and add the green chillies. Dry any excess liquid that might be there. As the liquid evaporates, the curry will turn thick and shiny. Serve hot with your favourite bread.

Top tips

• Grind the black pepper just before making this recipe. Don't use pre-ground pepper.
• Use full fat Indian yogurt or dahi. Greek or vanilla flavoured yogurts will not work in this recipe.
• Indian pepper chicken is typically a thick curry with less liquid. If there is excess liquid in your dish, make sure to cook it down until you get a dry(ish) gravy.

Best side dishes for chicken kali mirch

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!

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.
• White Karahi Chicken - A smooth, slightly spicy chicken curry with a delicate and creamy white sauce that you can mop up with warm naan.