Kali mirch chicken is rich, comforting and peppery. The luscious sauce is made with yogurt, ground cashews and lots of black pepper. You don’t need fancy ingredients to make this dish. It is a simple, fuss free recipe and you probably already have everything in your pantry to make it. When I want a break from tomato flavored chicken curries like murgh masala or chicken dopyaza, the ivory colored, creamy black pepper chicken curry is my go to.
About Chicken Kali Mirch
Chicken Kali Mirch gets its name from the hero spice - black pepper. In Hindi, Kali Mirch = Black Peppercorns. Depending on the region of India, there are different versions of this dish. Keralan(south indian) black pepper chicken fry is made with a unique selection of spices, curry leaves and hence has a different flavor profile. You may feel that the chicken kali mirch is quite similar to mughlai chicken korma and that is true, it does faintly resemble korma, however compared to chicken korma, chicken kali mirch has much simple ingredients. Do use fresh ground black pepper for best flavor of the gravy. However, the heat of fresh ground pepper can be a bit too much for kids sometimes, so you could simply use regular black pepper powder you have in your cabinet.
Reasons I love this recipe
You don’t need to marinate the chicken. Grab the chicken out of the fridge and set out to cook. The recipe is quite simple. If you wish, you totally can marinate but if you are in a hurry or have last minute guests, you are good to go. Peppery White Gravy- The smooth black pepper sauce has a mellow- slightly tangy, slightly nutty flavor. It is a good option for days when you want something different. Huge Hit With the Kids - My kids love it. I make this recipe often for them.
Ingredients
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs. Bone in chicken will work perfectly as well. Read the recipe card on how to adjust the cooking time. Black Peppercorn - Freshly Ground. We are going to use a little white pepper as well but if you dont have it, just skip it. Whole Plain Curd (Yogurt). Make sure that its not too tangy. Onions - To keep the color of the sauce, I suggest using white or yellow onions. However, if you have red onions at home, dont bother and use those. If you use red onions, the color of the gravy will be deeper and darker but the taste will be as good. Ginger Garlic Paste- I use homemade(read below). Store bought ginger-garlic paste is fine as well. Cashew Powder (I use ready to use) or make a smooth cashew nut paste at home by grinding cashews and water. Ghee - Or choose any neutral cooking oil like or avocado or grapeseed. Whole Spices - Bay leaf, Cinnamon, Shahjeera (caraway seeds) Ground Spices - Coriander powder, Green Cardamom, Nutmeg Other Ingredients- Salt, Green Chilies, Lime Juice or Lemon juice Heavy cream(optional), fresh cilantro etc.
Notes To make Ginger Garlic Paste at home :-Simply grind equal parts of fresh ginger (without skin) and garlic in a small blender jar. For homemade Cashew Powder or Paste at home :- Simply add 8-10 raw cashews to spice grinder and make a powder . To make cashew paste at home, soak a few cashews in hot water for 20 minutes. Grind with water to make a paste. To Grind Green Cardamom Seeds :- Crack open the green cardamom pods and add the seeds to a small mortar pestle. Grind to a smooth powder. A little goes a long way.
Black Pepper Versus White Pepper
Both white pepper and black pepper come from the same pepper plant. However, the difference between both comes down to the time of harvest and how they are processed before they reach our spice racks. White pepper is made from berries that have fully ripened. These berries are picked and processed to get rid of the skin. Because of being a mature fruit, the core of the berries after grinding have really sharp taste. Black pepper is made from berries that are harvested at a young age and then dried (therefore the shriveled skins). They are sharp but not as much as white pepper. I like adding white pepper for a few reasons. First of all, white pepper preserves the color yogurt based gravies in chicken or paneer dishes (proteins that turn or remain whitish post cooking). Also, the heat from white pepper is quite flavorful (similar to the kick from red chili).For indian palate accustomed to curries with a kick, heat from black pepper is not enough, I feel 🙂
How To Make Chicken Kali Mirch
- Reduce the stove to low and add the coriander, shah jeera, white pepper next along with yogurt. As soon as you add yogurt, stir immediately for next 2-3 minutes to avoid yogurt from curdling. Once the yogurt is warmed through, cover the pot with lid. Let everything cook for 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through. There is no need to add any water- the water content of yogurt and the chicken is enough to make a gravy.
- Open the lid and add nutmeg and green cardamom. Also mix in the heavy cream if you are using. Finish with chopped cilantro.
Variations
Grill The Chicken :- For a smoky taste, you can grill the chicken on a grill pan or outdoor grill before adding to the sauce. In that case, make the yogurt gravy as mentioned in the recipe card. Also, add 1 additional tablespoon of ginger garlic paste after the onions have cooked followed by yogurt. Make It With Shrimp- Similar to how I mentioned above, make the yogurt gravy first and then add the shrimp towards the end. If you want, you can an fry shrimp separately and add to gravy. Make It Spicy - Chop the green chillies instead of adding them whole. Make it Vegetarian - You can add mushrooms, cauliflower or potatoes to this gravy. Here’s my paneer kali mirch recipe. Add another layer of flavor - Add crushed kasuri methi or garam masala to finish the dish if you wish. I don’t add because kasuri methi can sometimes be overpowering and I want the taste of black pepper to shine.
My Tips
Dont cut the chicken too big or too small. 2 inch chicken chunks are the ideal size. As the chicken sears and cooks in gravy, it shrinks to the perfect size. Use fresh ground black pepper, nutmeg and green cardamom seeds for the best flavor. Take the yogurt out of the fridge 30 minutes before setting out to cook and whisk is very well before using. This reduces the chances of curdling. Dont use skim yogurt. Whole yogurt with its fat content is best for curries. Use thick yogurt for a nice consistency of the gravy. Greek yogurt is good as well. In India, use hung curd. Don’t skimp on the black pepper, it is the star ingredient. You may add garam masala powder at the end if you wish. Don’t skip the finishing spices - ground green cardamom and nutmeg. They add a lovely balmy warmth of the peppery white sauce. Avoid adding a lot of onion paste. The gravy will turn sweet. Dont use iron kadai or cast iron pot to make this dish. The yogurt tastes a bit funky in my opinion. Enameled cast iron is fine.
How To Serve Chicken Kali Mirch
Here are a few ways I serve this dish
With Flatbreads - It is a perfect pairing with naan or paratha or any flatbread you like. Dinner Rolls - My kids love to mop that sauce with pillowy dinner rolls. Steamed Basmati Rice or Cumin Rice. If you have leftover chicken kali mirch, next day, dry it up a little by cooking down the gravy on slow heat. Now you can shred the chicken and make wraps wit it. Add lettuce leaves, tomato slices, onions, drizzle green chutney and dont forget a sprinkle of garam masala or chaat masala.
I don’t recommend freezing Chicken Kali mirch. The taste of this dish is mellow and it tastes nothing after thawing.
