Chicken Kali Mirch or Murgh Kali Mirch (Black Pepper Chicken Curry) is a delicious and spicy entree that can be served with a variety of Indian flatbreads like naan, roti, chapati, or even with ghee rice. The dish can be prepared in under an hour and a generous serving comes to about 350 calories. Give this dish a try, and I am sure it will be a frequent item in your kitchen and also a go-to dish for your dinner parties.
About Chicken Kali Mirch
Kali mirch means black pepper, and murg/murgh means chicken. This dish is a true treat for all spicy food lovers. The only spiciness in this dish comes from black pepper, which is believed to provide a lot of health benefits when consumed in moderate quantities.
I first had this dish at our favorite and also the best Indian restaurant in Chicago. It was truly irresistible. As Chicago is a couple of hours drive from my place, I cannot go to that restaurant frequently. Therefore, I tried making this dish at home, and the outcome was a super hit, and I felt its worth sharing.
The recipe below is my take on the dish, but I am sure there are other interesting variations as well. The chicken is marinated and then cooked in aromatic and spicy gravy. While this dish can be served with steamed rice, I have served it with soft tava naan and will soon post the recipe for the same.
Vegetarians can substitute chicken with paneer or potato, and non-vegetarians can also use any of their other favorite meat.
Ingredients
- Black Peppercorns - contribute to the dominant flavor and spiciness of the dish. If whole peppercorns are unavailable, you can use Black pepper powder.
- Vegetable oil - is used to roast the spices and marinated chicken. Use any neutral flavored oil of your choice. This can also be replaced with butter or ghee.
- Cumin seeds, Cloves, Cardamom seeds, and Bay leaf - are the whole spices that add unique flavor and warmth to the gravy. This can be replaced with a teaspoon of garam masala powder or curry powder.
- Onion, Garlic cloves, and Ginger add a pungent flavor and aroma to the dish. Ginger and garlic can be replaced with store-bought or homemade ginger-garlic paste. Any variety of onions (yellow/red/white) can be used. Onions can also be replaced with shallots or store-bought fried onions.
- Cilantro/Coriander leaves- add freshness and color to the gravy. Cilantro can be replaced with 6 to 8 mint leaves.
- Green chilies - for garnish, are optional. Any variety of green chilies such as Bird's Eye chilies, Serrano, Jalapenos, etc., can be used.
For the marination:
- Chicken thighs - I like to use bone-in, skinless chicken thighs that are cut into medium pieces. I ask my butcher to give me curry cut. Chicken breast, wings, or drumsticks can also be used. You can also use mutton, beef, shrimp, fish, crab, etc., instead of chicken. Vegetarians can substitute chicken with potatoes, paneer, tofu, etc. Cooking time will vary accordingly.
- Yogurt - helps in tenderizing the chicken meat. It can be replaced with lemon juice, sour cream, etc.
- Ginger and Garlic - adds aroma to the dish. It can be replaced with store-bought or homemade ginger-garlic paste.
- Cilantro and Mint leaves - add freshness and flavor to the chicken. You can use other herbs of your choice or dried herbs if available in your pantry - the flavor may vary accordingly.
- Tandoori masala - a powdered blend of whole spices to add flavor to the meat. It can be easily found at any Asian/Indian grocery store. This can be replaced with garam masala powder or curry powder.
- Salt - for seasoning the meat.
For a complete list of ingredients and their amounts, refer to the recipe card given below.
How to Make Chicken Kali Mirch
Step 1 - Add all the ingredients listed under marination, mix well and marinate for atleast 15 minutes, preferably overnight. I have kept it overnight.
Step 2 - In a pan on medium heat, roast black peppercorns, cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom seeds, and bay leaf until aromatic.
Step 3 - Add sliced onions along with a pinch of salt and saute until onions turn light golden in color. Then, add chopped ginger and garlic and continue to saute until the onions turn golden in color. Blend the sauteed ingredients to a smooth paste along with coriander leaves and some water.
Step 4 - In the same pan, saute marinated chicken thighs until the meat sears on all sides. Add the blended paste and cook covered for about 15 minutes.
Step 5 - Add salt to taste. Garnish with finely sliced green chilies and coriander leaves. Restaurant-style or Dhaba-style Chicken Kali Mirch is now ready. Serve with your favorite flatbread or rice and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
This dish can be served as an entree or side dish with any Indian flatbread, dinner rolls, or flavored rice of your choice. Check out some options shown above!
Expert Chef Tips
- Marinate the chicken for at least 15 minutes, preferably several hours, or overnight in the refrigerator. This allows flavors to penetrate deep into the chicken!
- You can skip whole spices if they are unavailable. Instead, add ½ to ¾ teaspoon of garam masala powder or tandoori masala powder along with the blended paste in Step 4.
- Bone-in chicken pieces tend to be more juicy and succulent than boneless chicken. Similarly, I prefer red meat (chicken thigh) over white meat (chicken breast) as red meat is more tender when cooked.
Storage Instructions
Any leftover curry can be stored for up to 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat on the stovetop or in a microwave until heated through and serve.
FAQs
Murgh Kali Mirch or Chicken Kali Mirch is a North Indian gravy or curry where tender and juicy chicken pieces are cooked in a spicy and creamy curry. The spiciness and the prominent flavor of the gravy are due to black pepper powder or ground black pepper corns.
Vegetarians can prepare Kali Mirch curry using Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese), Potato, Cauliflower (Gobi), Tofu, etc. Meat lovers can use pork, mutton, beef, fish, shrimp, crab, etc.
More Chicken Recipes to Love
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Recipe card
Chicken Kali Mirch | Best Black Pepper Chicken Curry
Ingredients
For Marination
- 750 g Chicken Thighs bone-in, skinless, cut into pieces
- 4 tablespoon Yogurt or curds
- ½ inch Ginger grated
- 4 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 4 strands Cilantro or Coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 8 leaves Mint finely chopped or ½ teaspoon Dried mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon Tandoori Masala powder or Garam masala or Curry powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
For the Kali Mirch Gravy
- 2 tablespoon Black Peppercorns
- 2 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 2 pieces Clove or Laung
- 1 pod Cardamom or Elaichi
- 1 leaf Bay leaf or Tej Patta
- 1 large Onion sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 1 inch Ginger grated
- 6 strands Cilantro
- 2 pieces Green chilies slit
- ½ cup Water
- ½ teaspoon Salt to taste
Instructions
Step 1 - Marinate the Chicken
- Add all the ingredients listed under marination, mix well, and marinate for atleast 15 minutes, preferably overnight. I have kept it overnight.750 g Chicken Thighs, 4 tablespoon Yogurt, ½ inch Ginger, 4 cloves Garlic, 4 strands Cilantro, 8 leaves Mint, 1 teaspoon Tandoori Masala powder, ½ teaspoon Salt
Step 2 - Prepare the Kali Mirch gravy paste
- In a pan on medium heat, dry roast black peppercorns for about 2-3 mins.2 tablespoon Black Peppercorns
- Next, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and continue roasting the black peppercorns until they start to sizzle in oil.2 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- Add cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom pod, and bay leaf, and continue to saute until aromatic (about 2 minutes).1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 2 pieces Clove, 1 pod Cardamom, 1 leaf Bay leaf
- Add sliced onions along with a pinch of salt and saute until onions turn light golden in color (about 4 minutes).1 large Onion, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Add grated ginger and chopped garlic and continue to saute the onions until they are dark golden in color (about 3 to 4 mins).4 cloves Garlic, 1 inch Ginger
- Blend the sauteed ingredients along with coriander leaves and half a cup of water into a smooth paste.6 strands Cilantro, ½ cup Water
Step 3 - Cook the chicken in the gravy
- Meanwhile, in the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, marinated chicken thighs (from Step 1), and roast it for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat until the meat sears on all sides. Rotate the chicken about halfway through.2 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- Add the blended paste (from Step 2) to the pan along with some additional water for desired consistency. Once the gravy comes to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cook covered for about 12-15 mins.
- Garnish with finely sliced green chilies. Chicken Kali Mirch is now ready. Serve hot, and enjoy.2 pieces Green chilies
Notes
Expert Chef Tips
- Marinate the chicken for at least 15 minutes, preferably overnight.
- You can skip whole spices if they are unavailable. Instead, add ½ to ¾ teaspoon of garam masala powder or tandoori masala powder along with the blended paste in Step 3.
- Bone-in chicken pieces tend to be more juicy and succulent than boneless chicken.
Storage Instructions
- Any leftover curry can be stored for up to 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Reheat on the stovetop or in a microwave until heated through, and serve.
Nutrition
Note: The recipe was originally published in November 2016 and has been modified with additional tips and serving suggestions in June 2023.
Crafty Cooking Mama
Yum...this looks like such a delicious bowl of curry. I could eat that whole bowl with a big side of rice 🙂
Kushi
Thank you Amanda 🙂
All That I'm Eating
This sounds delicious, you've made me so hungry!
Kushi
Thank you dear 🙂
GiGi Eats
OH WOW! Talk about insane amounts of flavorrrrrr!
Kushi
Thank you dear 🙂
Prashant
Green cardamom or black cardamom?
Kushi
Black seeds of green cardamom 🙂
CurryNovice
Just cooked this! I am not a great cook, but it was delicious a wonderful blend of heat and tastiness, despite what I think were mistakes on my part.
Could I ask….I cooked the onion for a further 5mins after adding garlic/ginger, but they didn’t turn a dark golden colour. Is this essential? Are they meant to get caramelised? My final paste was a light insipid beige colour!
And when I blended the mixture, the peppercorns stayed whole. Is that ok? Or maybe my blender is up the creek…
Any guidance would be appreciated!
Kushi
Only if the onion gets caramelized you will get the color as you see in the picture. The peppercorns should blend nicely with the mixture. Looks like the blender problem. Next time blend it a little longer or after you saute the peppercorns in oil, separately crush it using mortar pestle or simply use store bought pepper powder. I hope this helps. Thanks alot for trying our recipe. Have a great weekend. !