Black Pepper Chicken

Name: Black Pepper Chicken
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 in [5 cm] piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated; 4 garlic cloves, peeled and grated; 2 large onions (total weight about 1¾ lb [800 g]), cut in half and thinly sliced; 2 Tbsp coconut oil; Plain Rice, for serving; 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, for garnish; One 13.6 fl oz [403 ml] can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk; 1 tsp coriander seeds, ground; 1 tsp fennel seeds, ground; 2 tsp ground turmeric; 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice; Fine sea salt; 3 lb [1.4 kg] boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 2 Tbsp black peppercorns

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Flavor Equation

By Nik Sharma

Published 2020

About

Before chillies arrived in India, black pepper was an important ingredient that provided heat in cooking. There are a few different versions of black pepper chicken, some dry and some with a more gravy-like sauce. If you prefer a drier chicken, use half the amount of coconut milk indicated in the recipe.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds, ground

Asia
India
Main course
Gluten-free
Spicy

Method

Grind the peppercorns to a coarse powder. In a small dry skillet or saucepan, toast the pepper, coriander, and fennel until they just turn fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds. Immediately transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the turmeric and lime juice and season with salt to form a paste.

Place the chicken in a large bowl and massage it with the spice paste. Transfer to a large resealable bag or w