Chicken Kali Mirch (Black Pepper Chicken Curry)
Chicken Kali Mirch, also known as Murgh Kali Mirch or Black Pepper Chicken Curry, is a creamy and flavorful North Indian chicken curry made with tender chicken and freshly ground black pepper. This restaurant-style chicken curry has a rich white gravy with mild heat and pairs perfectly with naan, roti, or rice.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 410kcal
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottom pot/kadhai
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 700 g boneless chicken thighs/breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 cup full-fat curd or yogurt
For the onion cashew paste
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 2 onions sliced
- 15 garlic cloves small size
- 1- inch ginger
- 1 green chili
- 15 whole cashews
For the black pepper chicken curry
- 3 teaspoon oil
- 2 green cardamoms
- 5 cloves
- 1- inch cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ¼ cup fresh cream
- 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
Preparations
- Crush black peppercorns into a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle.
- For the marinade, combine the chicken pieces in a mixing bowl with salt, crushed black pepper, cumin, and yogurt. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.
Making onion-cashew paste
- Heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, garlic, and green chili. Cook for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to brown the onions as we want a light-colored gravy.
- Add cashews and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- Add a little water and grind to a smooth paste. The onion-cashew paste is ready. Set it aside.
Cooking chicken kali mirch
- Heat 3 teaspoons of oil over low-medium heat. Add cardamom pods (slightly opened), cloves, and cinnamon. Sauté the whole spices until fragrant.
- Turn off the heat and add the prepared onion-cashew paste. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring continuously, until the paste thickens and no longer sticks to the pan, about 3-4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low before adding the marinated chicken.
- Switch the heat to low and add the marinated chicken. Stir continuously until the marinade begins to boil, then gradually increase the heat to prevent the yogurt from curdling
- Cover and cook on low heat until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in kasuri methi, garam masala powder, cardamom powder (optional), coriander leaves, freshly crushed black pepper, and cream. Combine thoroughly.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Enjoy it hot with naan or jeera rice.
Video
Notes
-
- Marinate the chicken: Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes for juicy, tender, and flavorful results.
- Prevent the yogurt from curdling: Whisk the yogurt well before marinating. Let the marinated chicken come to room temperature, then stir continuously after adding it to the pan until the marinade comes to a gentle boil.
- Do not brown the onions: Cook the onions just until the edges begin to change color. This keeps the gravy creamy white instead of light brown.
- Adjust the heat with black pepper: Avoid adding red chili powder, as it can change the colour of the curry. Add extra freshly crushed black pepper if you prefer a spicier black pepper chicken curry.
- Try other proteins: You can make this restaurant-style kali mirch curry with lamb, paneer, or shrimp instead of chicken.
Nutrition
Calories: 410kcal