South Indian · serves 2

Pepper Chicken

Black pepper doing all the work. No chilli, no cream, thirty-five minutes.

35 min Some work Non-vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 700g chicken
  • 2 tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
  • 3 onions, sliced
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 tsp fennel powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 25 curry leaves
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 3 tbsp oil

Method

  1. Crush the peppercorns coarsely by hand. Ground pepper powder tastes flat and dusty here.
  2. Oil, curry leaves, onions till golden.
  3. Ginger-garlic paste, then fennel and coriander powder.
  4. Chicken, salt, and half the crushed pepper. Fry hard 8 minutes.
  5. Cover and cook 20 minutes without water.
  6. Uncover, dry it out, then the rest of the pepper and a spoon of coconut oil off the heat.

Questions people ask about Pepper Chicken

How long does Pepper Chicken take?

About 35 minutes from starting to sitting down, and it is a bit of work. Most of that is active, so read the method through before you start rather than chopping as you go.

What can I use instead of chicken in Pepper Chicken?

Use paneer, firm tofu or mushrooms. All three cook far faster than chicken, so add them in the last 5 minutes rather than at the start.

Can I make Pepper Chicken ahead of time?

You can prepare it a few hours ahead and reheat gently. It keeps two days in the fridge, though it is best on the day.

Can I make Pepper Chicken vegetarian?

Yes. Replace the chicken with paneer, firm tofu, mushrooms or soya chunks. All of them cook far faster than meat, so add them in the last five minutes rather than at the start, and keep the masala exactly as written.

What do you serve with Pepper Chicken?

Steamed rice with a spoon of ghee, and a papad if you have one. It serves two as written. Double everything to feed four, but use a wider pan so the food still browns rather than steams.

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