Chicken Kali Mirch (Black Pepper Chicken Curry)

Chicken Kali Mirch (Black Pepper Chicken Curry) is a delicious chicken curry loaded with black pepper. Serve this rich and creamy curry with Lachha Paratha or Naan for an indulgent meal (gluten-free).

Jump to:

• About Chicken Kali Mirch
• Ingredients
• How To Make Chicken Kali Mirch
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Suggestions
• You Might Also Like
• Recipe Card

About Chicken Kali Mirch

Chicken Kali Mirch (Black Pepper Chicken Curry, Murgh Kali Mirch) is a chicken curry popular in North India and Pakistan where juicy and succulent chicken pieces are cooked in a spicy curry flavored with lots of black pepper (kali mirch).

This curry is super easy to make and comes together in under an hour using a few basic pantry ingredients. It is a rich and creamy curry fit to make for festivals or special occasions.

Serve it with flaky Lachha Paratha or Naan with a side of Lachha Onions. You can also try it with steamed rice or jeera rice.

This recipe is gluten-free and can be easily doubled or tripled.

Here are a few more chicken curry recipes that you may like

• Restaurant Style Kadai Chicken
• Malai Chicken Curry
• North Indian Boneless Chicken Curry
• Doi Murgi
• Bengali Chicken Rezala
• Punjabi Tariwala Chicken
• Dahi Chicken Curry
• Butter Chicken
• Chettinad Chicken Curry
• Chicken Vindaloo

Ingredients

Chicken – I like to use bone-in skinless chicken pieces to make this curry as the bones as a lot of flavors to it. If you are not a bone-in chicken person, then use boneless chicken cut into bite-sized pieces.

Black Peppercorns (Kali Mirch) – This is the star ingredient of this chicken kali mirch curry. They give the curry a nice heat, a spicy kick, and a distinct flavor.

Use freshly ground black peppercorns for the best taste.

Whole Spices – You will need a few basic whole spices such as cloves (laung), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), and cinnamon (dalchini).

Spice Powders – You will need coriander powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder, and garam masala powder to flavor the curry.

Cashew Nuts – Makes the curry rich and creamy. You can replace them with almonds or melon seeds too.

Yogurt (Dahi, Curd) – Plain yogurt makes the base of the curry. If using homemade yogurt, make sure it is not sour.

Unsweetened Heavy Cream – It makes the curry creamier. If you are making chicken curry for your everyday meal, you can skip adding it or replace it with milk.

Honey – Adds a slight hint of sweetness and balances the spices.

Others – You will also need red onions, green chilies, vegetable oil, ginger garlic paste, freshly squeezed lime juice, and Kasuri methi.

How To Make Chicken Kali Mirch

Crush The Peppercorns

Add 1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns to a mortar and pestle and grind to make a coarse powder. Keep it aside.

Make The Onion Cashew Paste

Heat 4 cups water in a pan over medium-high heat.

Once it comes to a rolling boil, add

• 1 cup of chopped onions
• 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies
• 10-12 whole cashew nuts

to the pan and boil for 6-8 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool down for 5 minutes.

Strain the water and add the cooked onions and cashew nuts to a blender along with ¼ cup of water.

Blend to make a fine paste.

Make The Curry

Heat 3 tablespoon vegetable oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat.

Once the oil is hot, add

• 3-4 cloves
• 3-4 green cardamoms
• 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick

and saute for 4-5 seconds.

Add the onion paste and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Scrape the bottom of the pan at regular intervals while cooking to prevent the onion paste from sticking at the bottom and burning.

Now add 2 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste and cook for another minute.

Add 1 pound (500 g) of bone-in skinless chicken (cut into 1 and ½-inch pieces) to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add

• ¼ cup of whisked yogurt
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Now add 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of black pepper powder and mix well.

Reduce the heat to low.

Cover the pan and cook for 35-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked well. Stir a few times while cooking.

Add

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi
• ¼ cup unsweetened heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• crushed black pepper

and mix well.

Add some hot water if the curry looks thick, and bring it to a boil.

Check for salt and add more if required. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Chicken Kali Mirch with a crispy and flaky Lachha Paratha with a side of Lachha Onions for a comforting weekday dinner.

You can also serve it with other Indian bread such as Phulka, Tawa Paratha, Khamiri Roti, Naan, or any bread of your choice.

It can also be served with plain steamed rice or Jeera Rice.

Storage Suggestions

Leftover Chicken Kali Mirch can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days, in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan or microwave until nice and hot before serving.

Add in some hot water to adjust the consistency while reheating, as it might become a little thick after refrigerating it.

I would not recommend you freeze it, as the curry might curdle once thawed.

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