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–+ servings

pepper chicken

Chettinad pepper chicken, or milagu kozhi varuval, gets its heat from black pepper and has a quite different flavour to dishes that use chilli for heat. A simple south Indian chicken dish.
serving dish of chettinad pepper chicken
prepare: 10 minutes
cook: 35 minutes
marinate: 2 hours
total time: 2 hours 45 minutes
difficulty: simple
yield: 4 servings
calories: 639 kcal
diet: gluten free
cuisine: chettinadi, Indian

equipment

  • small frypan
  • large bowl
  • pressure cooker

ingredients

  • 800 g chicken thigh fillets - cut into large pieces

for the marinade

for cooking

for serving

instructions

  • Heat the peppercorns, fennel seeds, dried chillies, and coriander seeds in a heavy pan until fragrant and the pepper starts to pop. Remove from heat, allow to cool, then grind to a fine powder.
  • Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Add the turmeric powder and the ground spices. Stir well, then cover and set aside in a refrigerator for two hours.

to cook

  • Heat the pressure cooker and add the gingelly oil. When the oil is hot, add the curry leaves. Quickly add the onions in a layer and sprinkle with the salt. Add the tomatoes in another layer. Top this with the chicken and any remaining marinade, again in a layer. Add the coconut milk. Do not stir.
  • Seal the pressure cooker, bring it up to pressure and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and let the cooker release naturally.
  • Place cooker on medium-high heat. Fry, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens and just coats the chicken.

to serve

  • Remove from heat, garnish with curry leaves, and serve.

notes

Cut the chicken thigh fillets into 5cm (2 inch) pieces.
Gingelly oil is Indian sesame oil. It is very different to Asian sesame oil. Substitute with vegetable oil if unobtainable.
The moisture from the chicken and coconut milk will be sufficient to cook the chicken. You should not need to add water. This is a dry dish.
You can cook this on the stovetop if you do not have a pressure cooker. Instead of layering the ingredients in the pressure cooker, use a wide pade pan and cook out the onions and curry leaves, then the tomatoes. Add the chicken and brown slightly. Add the coconut milk, cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes.

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nutrition

Serving: 225 g | Calories: 639 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9 g | Protein: 34 g | Fat: 52 g | Saturated Fat: 17 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 196 mg | Sodium: 754 mg | Potassium: 685 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 2 g | Vitamin A: 522 IU | Vitamin C: 47 mg | Calcium: 70 mg | Iron: 4 mg