A restaurant classic, chicken kali mirch is a delight for pepper lovers! The unique balance of heat from black pepper powder and sweetness from creamy gravy is bound to give your taste buds an enchanting sensation!
Chicken kali mirch is a frequently ordered dish in any Indian restaurant thanks to its unique taste which is unlike any other Indian curried chicken recipe. Why is it unique? You will know shortly!
This is a special occasion worthy dish and I am sure if you include it in the menu of your next house party, your guests will thank you for it and won’t stop praising your culinary skill!
This creamy gravy of chicken kali mirch is so soothing to our taste buds that it would please kids and adults alike!
What is chicken kali mirch?
Chicken kali mirch literally translates to chicken with black pepper. It is a chicken curry recipe which is not too spicy even though there is a generous amount of kali mirch i.e. black pepper in it!
It definitely has the kick from black peppers, but it is nicely complemented with the sweet creamy gravy thanks to cashew & fresh cream. And when you make it at home, you can customize it to your own liking! Win win, right?
The flagship kadai chicken is majorly dominated by warm spices like coriander and cumin which are roasted and freshly crushed whereas the primary aromatic of chicken kali mirch is nothing but kali mirch!
The gravy of chicken kali mirch is white in color unlike other curry recipes as this one does not have turmeric powder in it. The creamy white gravy with specs of black pepper in it is the distinct feature of the popular chicken kali mirch.
How to tweak this recipe to suit your senses?
This recipe of chicken kali mirch can also be tweaked easily to make a pepper chicken fry instead of a curry recipe. You can follow the same recipe except the addition of water. After adding curd, cover the pan and let the chicken cook on low heat.
The liquid from curd will eventually get absorbed while softening the chicken. At the very end, sprinkle a few fresh curry leaves and fry for 5 more minutes to make the curry leaves a little crispy. And your dry pepper chicken fry is ready!
There are many variations of pepper chicken curry and you may already have your own family recipe of the same. If it’s different from how I made it, please share it in the comment below; I would love to try it in my kitchen!
If you are not too fond of black pepper and the amount of pepper powder in my recipe seems too overwhelming, feel free to cut it down. Just add as much pepper as you like; the creamy gravy made of cashew and cream will anyways taste delicious with roti or rice!
Ingredients for making Chicken Kali Mirch
Chicken: Like any other chicken curry recipe, you will need small pieces of chicken which we also call curry cut chicken. I prefer bone-in and skinless chicken pieces for any curry recipe of mine, but you can use boneless chicken thighs also.
Black pepper: The next important ingredient for this recipe is black pepper. You will need these little black balls in two forms – whole black peppercorns and also as pepper powder.
Cashew nuts: These tasty nuts add much needed creaminess & mild sweetness to the chicken kali mirch gravy and makes the base of the curry.
Fresh cream: To add an extra dose of creaminess, you will need lots of fresh cream.
Tempering: To temper the oil for your curry, you will need the magic trio i.e. cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. These will flavor the oil beautifully as always.
Powdered spices: To add depth of flavor to the gravy, a generous amount of cumin powder and coriander powder are added.
Aromatics: The quintessential aromatics of any Indian recipe which are ginger and garlic are must in this recipe as well!
Onion: You will need a good amount of onion as well which will be used to prepare the base by boiling and then grinding along with cashew nuts to make a smooth & fine paste.
Curd/yogurt: Curd will soften the chicken pieces and also add mild tartness which will cut the sharpness of the black pepper. Make sure to beat the curd until smooth before adding to the kadai.
Green chillies: If you would like to have your chicken kali mirch a little hot, then throw in a few spicy green chillies with the seeds; you can skip this if you don’t like things spicy.
Sugar and Salt: To balance all the warmth of spices, a teaspoon of sugar is added along with seasoning as per your taste.
Vegetable oil: Cook your chicken kali mirch in any flavorless vegetable oil. You can skip ghee for this recipe.
Kasuri methi: At the very end, sprinkle some crushed kasuri methi i.e. dry fenugreek leaves which will impart beautiful flavor in combination with all other spices.
Garam masala: Finish it off with a final sprinkle of garam masala, the homemade one! Check out my quick video on how to make garam masala at home!
Juice of half a lemon: After serving the chicken kali mirch in a serving bowl, squeeze up a lemon to add a burst of freshness!
How to make chicken kali mirch?
Making chicken kali mirch curry is not at all difficult. Just follow these instructions and you will produce one of the most flavorful Indian curries the cuisine has to offer!
Step 1: Wash the chicken thoroughly and drain out all the water. Take it in a mixing bowl and add cumin powder, coriander powder, salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper powder. Toss the chicken in the spices to coat each piece evenly. Leave it at room temperature until needed.
Step 2: Put onion, green chilies and cashew nuts in a saucepan and boil them in 4 cups of water for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, fish them out using a slotted spoon leaving the water behind and let them cool on a plate.
Step 3: Once the onion, chilies and cashews are completely cooled down, transfer to a blender and grind them to make a fine & smooth paste. Set it aside.
Step 4: Heat a heavy bottomed pan or kadai. Add the oil and let it become hot. Temper the hot oil with cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Let them crackle and flavor the oil for 30 seconds.
Step 5: Add the onion-cashew paste and sauté for 8-10 minutes on medium heat until oil starts to release. Add ginger & garlic paste and sauté for 2 minutes until the raw smell of the aromatics is gone.
Step 6: Now add the marinated chicken and cook for about 20 minutes on medium-low heat or until the chicken pieces are nicely browned on all sides. This searing step is very important to build maximum flavor, so don’t skip it!
Step 7: Now lower the heat to minimum (or you can even turn off the flame for a while) and add the beaten curd. Mix it well with chicken. Let the curd cook for 5 to 6 minutes on low or until oil starts to release from the chicken and most of the liquid is absorbed.
Step 8: Add two teaspoons of black pepper powder and give a good mix.
Step 9: Now add half a cup of water, stir well to mix the spices & chicken evenly and bring the water to boil. Then cover the pan and cook on low flame till the chicken is completely cooked; it would take about 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 10: After about 20 minutes, check the chicken for doneness. If cooked, add kasuri methi, sugar and a dash of coarsely crushed black pepper.
Step 11: Pour in the fresh cream and sprinkle garam masala on top; give a final mix. Cook uncovered for a couple of minutes more until the gravy thickens. And your chicken kali mirch is ready to serve!
Step 12: Transfer your chicken kali mirch to a big serving bowl and drizzle freshly squeezed lemon juice on top. Enjoy with plain rice or phulka!
Other flavorful chicken curries from FQ:
- Restaurant Style Chicken Handi
- Posto Murgi | Chicken Curry with Poppy Seeds Paste
- Mangalorean Kori Gassi Restaurant Style
- Chicken – 1 kg curry cut
- Cumin powder – 3 tsp
- Coriander powder – 3 tsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
- Cloves – 6
- Cardamom – 4
- Cinnamon – 2-inch stick
- Onion – 4, large, cut into small chunks
- Green chillies – 3, chopped
- Cashew nuts – 20
- Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tbsp
- Curd/yogurt – ½ cup, beaten until smooth & lumpfree
- Vegetable oil – 4 to 6 tbsp
- Black pepper powder – 2 tsp
- Whole black peppercorn – 1 tbsp
- Fresh cream – ½ cup
- Kasuri methi – 1 tsp
- Sugar – 1 tsp
- Garam masala – ½ tsp
- Salt to taste
- Juice of half a lemon
- Wash the chicken thoroughly and drain out all the water. Take it in a mixing bowl and add cumin powder, coriander powder, salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper powder. Toss the chicken in the spices to coat each piece evenly. Leave it at room temperature until needed.
- Put onion, green chilies and cashew nuts in a saucepan and boil them in 4 cups of water for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, fish them out using a slotted spoon and let them cool on a plate.
- Once the onion, chilies and cashews are completely cooled down, grind them in a blender to make a fine & smooth paste. Set it aside.
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan or kadai. Add the oil and let it become hot. Temper the hot oil with cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Let them crackle and flavor the oil for 30 seconds.
- Add the onion-cashew paste and sauté for 8-10 minutes on medium heat. Add ginger & garlic paste and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Now add the marinated chicken and cook for about 20 minutes on medium-low heat or until the chicken pieces are nicely browned on all sides.
- Now lower the heat to minimum and add the beaten curd. Mix it well with chicken. Let the curd cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until oil starts to release from the chicken and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Add two teaspoons of black pepper powder and give a good mix.
- Now add half a cup of water, mix & bring to boil, then cover the pan and cook on low flame till chicken is completely cooked; it would take about 15 to 20 minutes.
- After about 20 minutes, check the chicken for doneness. If cooked, add kasuri methi, sugar and a dash of coarsely crushed black pepper.
- Add fresh cream and sprinkle garam masala on top; give a final mix. Cook uncovered for a couple of minutes more until the gravy thickens. And your chicken kali mirch is ready to serve!
- Transfer it to a big serving bowl and squeeze the lemon juice on top. Enjoy it with roti or rice!
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