Make Pepper Chicken

Pepper chicken, also known as Kurumulaku chicken, is a spicy dish that's native to Indian. The dish gets most of its flavor from the use of crushed black peppercorns, which add heat to the chicken with the help of some other spices. The recipe is fairly easy to make, and can even be done all in one pan on the stove top so you don't have to worry about washing too many dishes afterward.

Ingredients

• 1 pound (450 g) boneless chicken, cut into medium size pieces
• ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon juice
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cooking oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 2 ½ teaspoons (12 g) garlic, crushed
• 2 ½ teaspoons (12 g) ginger, grated
• 1 to 2 green chilies, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 ¼ teaspoon (3.5 g) whole black peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) fennel powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) soya sauce
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) tomato sauce
• ¼ cup (59 ml) plus ½ cup (118 ml) water
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• Salt

Steps

Marinating the Chicken and Preparing the Pepper

1. Mix the ground pepper, turmeric, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. In a large bowl, combine ¼ teaspoon (1.24 g) of ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of lemon juice, and salt to taste. Stir well to ensure that the ingredients are well mixed.
   • Some recipes also include minced ginger and garlic in the marinade mixture, so you can add them if you want. However, ginger and garlic are incorporated in the sauce later, so you may not want to load up on those flavors depending on your tastes.
2. Add the chicken and marinate for at least a half hour. Once the marinade is mixed, add 1 pound (450 g) of boneless chicken that’s been cut into medium size pieces to the bowl. Toss in the chicken in the marinade to ensure that all of the pieces are well coated, and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
   • Cover the marinating chicken with plastic wrap before you place it in the refrigerator.
3. Crush the peppercorns. The dish gets most of its spicy flavor from peppercorns, but they must be crushed for use in the sauce later. Take 1 ¼ teaspoons (3.5 g) of whole black peppercorns, and crush them. Don’t reduce them to powder, though; they should have a coarse texture after crushing.
   • Crushing the peppercorns is easiest with a spice or coffee grinder, but you don’t need an appliance to do it. You can use a mortar and pestle, or place the peppercorns in a sealed plastic bag and use a rolling pin, meat tenderizer mallet, or the back of a heavy pan to crush them.

Making the Sauce

1. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onions. Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of a neutral cooking oil to a large skillet, and heat on medium until the oil is hot or starts to shimmer, which should take approximately 5 minutes. Next, mix in 2 large onions that have been sliced, and cook until the onions are brown, which should take 5 to 7 minutes.
   • Canola or vegetable oil works well for the recipe.
2. Stir in the garlic, ginger, green chili, and curry leaves, and cook for several minutes. After the onions have browned, add 2 ½ teaspoons (12 g) of crushed garlic, 2 ½ teaspoons (12 g) of grated ginger, 1 to 2 green chilies that have been cut in half lengthwise, and 1 sprig of curry leaves. Let the mixture cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
   • Add the chillies based on how spicy you want the dish to be. If you prefer a milder flavor, go with one chili. If you want a spicier flavor, add two.
   • You’ll know when the mixture has cooked long enough when the spices start to give off an aroma.
3. Mix in the crushed pepper, garam masala, and fennel powder. Once the garlic and ginger have cooked long enough to release their flavors, stir the crushed peppercorns, ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) of garam masala, and ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) of fennel powder into the pan. Mix well so the ingredients are fully combined, and allow them to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
   • Garam masala is a spice blend often used in Indian cooking that you can find at most Indian markets.
   • Make sure to stir the mixture periodically as you heat it to ensure that it cooks evenly.
4. Add the soya sauce, tomato sauce, water, and salt. After you’ve incorporated the peppercorns and other spices into the mixture, add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of soya sauce, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of tomato sauce, ¼ cup (59 ml) of water, and salt to taste to the pan. Stir well to ensure that the ingredients are fully incorporated into the sauce.
   • Some recipes use chopped tomatoes in place of tomato sauce if you prefer a thicker sauce.

Adding the Chicken

1. Mix in the chicken until well coated. Once the sauces, water, and salt have been incorporated, remove the chicken from its marinade and add it to the pan, stirring well to ensure that all of the pieces are coated with the sauce. Allow the mixture to cook for 5 minutes on high, stirring the entire time so the chicken doesn’t burn.
   • You can tell that the chicken is ready when it starts to brown.
2. Stir in additional water and allow the mixture to come to a boil. When the chicken has fried for several minutes, mix an additional ½ cup (118 ml) of water into the pan. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, which should take approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Cover the pan and cook the mixture until the chicken is done. After the pan comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Let the mixture cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, which should take approximately 20 minutes.
   • While the chicken is cooking, check on it periodically. If the liquid appears to have evaporated, mix in a bit more water to help maintain a sauce for the chicken.
4. Add more curry leaves, and cook for several more minutes. When the chicken has finished cooking, uncover the pan, and mix in another sprig of curry leaves. Stir well to fully incorporate the leaves, and allow the dish to cook for 5 to 7 minutes on low.
5. Remove from the heat, and allow it to cool briefly before serving. When the dish has finished cooking, remove it from the heat. Leave it uncovered and allow it to cool for approximately 5 minutes before transferring it to dish or platter for serving.
   • You can garnish the pepper chicken with lemon or lime slices or chopped coriander leaves.
   • Pepper chicken is usually served with rice.

Tips

• You can substitute ground pepper for the peppercorns in the recipe, but the flavor of the dish is stronger if you use freshly crushed peppercorns.
• Making the pepper chicken the day before you plan to serve it gives the flavors a chance to really develop.

Things You'll Need

• A large bowl
• Plastic wrap
• A spice grinder, mortar and pestle, rolling pin, mallet, or rolling pin (for crushing the peppercorns)
• A large skillet
• A wooden spoon

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Sources and Citations

See also

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• Make Almond Chicken
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• Make Barbecued Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Make Italian Seasoned Chicken
• Make Pan Sauce for Chicken
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