Chicken Kali Mirch Recipe
Chicken Kali Mirch (Black Pepper Chicken Curry) is a delicious Indian chicken curry loaded with black pepper. Serve this rich and creamy curry with Lachha Paratha or Naan for an indulgent meal.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons black peppercorns (kali mirch) divided
- 1 cup chopped red onions
- 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- 10-12 cashew nuts
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 3-4 cloves (laung)
- 3-4 green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 1 pound bone-in skinless chicken 500 g, cut into 1 and ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup whisked yogurt (curd, dahi)
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi
- ¼ cup unsweetened heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
Instructions
Crush The Peppercorns
- Add peppercorns to a mortar and pestle, then grind to make a coarse powder. You want visible flecks, not a fine powder, so the curry has texture and pops of heat in every bite. Keep it aside.
Make The Onion Cashew Paste
- Heat 4 cups of water in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once it comes to a rolling boil, add onions, green chilies, and 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 ¼cup of water.
- Blend to make a fine paste.
Boiling instead of frying the onions keeps the gravy pale and cuts down on oil without losing creaminess.
Make The Curry
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottom pan over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add cloves, green cardamom, and cinnamon stick and saute for 4-5 seconds. This step wakes up their oils and is what gives the curry its warm, layered aroma.
- Add the onion paste and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Scrape the bottom of the pan periodically while cooking to prevent the onion paste from sticking and burning.
- Now add ginger-garlic paste and cook for another minute.
- Add chicken to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add yogurt, coriander powder, cumin powder, and salt, and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Now add 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of crushed black pepper powder (from the 4 teaspoons total), then mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan and cook for 35-40 minutes, stirring a few times, until the chicken is well-cooked.
- Add lime juice, honey, Kasuri methi, heavy cream, garam masala powder, and the remaining 3 teaspoons of 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 needed.
- Serve hot.
If you want to use boneless chicken, then use 350 grams of skinless boneless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces. Keep the rest of the recipe the same.
Video
Notes
If you are not a bone-in chicken person, then feel free to use boneless chicken cut into bite-sized pieces.
If you are making chicken curry for your everyday meal, you can skip adding heavy cream or replace it with milk.
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 676mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 293IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 2mg
