Pepper chicken curry marinated in Yoghurt-spice.

A popular South Indian pepper chicken curry.

The pepper chicken recipe is full of deep satisfying flavours with gravy so thick, that a second serve is a must.

You’ve probably had a pepper chicken curry at a restaurant and if you’ve wondered how they’ve made such a rich chicken curry then you are in luck.

This yoghurt marinated chicken curry recipe in a thick pepper chicken gravy made with Indian spices is your guide on how to make yoghurt chicken curry at home.

If you have a party and want to impress your guests with an Indian-themed meal, cook the yoghurt-marinated pepper chicken because this recipe has never failed anyone who has tried it.

Tips to cook pepper chicken curry recipe

When you are making an Indian black pepper chicken masala curry, you’ll notice it’s all about adding layers and building a pepper curry flavour profile.

And the key to this pepper chicken curry comes together in three steps.

• Marinating the chicken in a rich yoghurt masala. 

•  Make a pepper masala and lightly fry the marinated chicken in it. 

•  Finally, let the pepper fry chicken slow-cook in the thick masala gravy.   

Now that you know the foundation of a slow-cooked, delicious Pepper chicken masala recipe, why not cook the dish for the family?

What to serve with the pepper chicken.

• Serve with any type of rice dish.
  • how to cook rice on the stove.
  • Sri Lankan Yellow Rice(turmeric rice)
  • Indian fragrant ghee rice(nei choru).
  • egg biryani (one pot rice dish/stove-top)

• Roti, flatbreads to pair with the pepper chicken.
  • How to make Sri Lankan paratha (godamba)roti.
  • How to make Sri Lankan egg roti/paratha.
  • Garlic Naan recipe without yeast.
  • Stovetop Naan bread( Indian Naan bread)
  • How to make poori(deep-fried Indian bread).

cooking pepper chicken curry for a crowd.

If you decide to cook up a whole chicken(more than 1 kg)

Try to cut it into 10-12 pieces.
And increase the ingredients as mentioned below while keeping all the other ingredient quantities the same.

Increase,

Black peppercorns by 2 and 1/2 teaspoon
8 garlic cloves crushed(for marinade and cooking)
4 tablespoons of ginger(for marinade and cooking)
6 cardamom pods
2 pieces of cinnamon
3 medium-sized onions
1 and 1/2 teaspoon of tamarind paste(add as you need)
The amount of coconut milk depends on how much thick gravy you need, use 1/2 for less or 1 cup or little less than that for more gravy.

reviews and suggestions for pepper chicken.

Find the originals in the comment section.

*This is such a great recipe. I’m Lovin’ It!

*Absolutely loved the black pepper n yoghurt chicken curry… I tried it out yesterday.

The family loved it. Creamy and intelligently spiced. Thank you.

*I just want to say thanks for posting your lovely recipes online. I found your web page and cooked the chicken curry above.

“The only change I made was the addition of a small amount of garam masala and jaggery just before taking it off the stove. Served with rice and papadams”.

“Without a doubt, the nicest chicken curry I have made yet! I used a whole chicken so I followed your instructions accordingly.

I just felt the need to thank you. I love making curries ( that smell the house out for days! ), and will be making some more of your recipes in the future”. 

Utensils and appliances needed.

A large pan like a wok or wide-mouthed pan to cook the chicken.

More chicken curry recipes

Sri Lankan chicken curry

How to cook a chicken curry without coconut milk

Chicken Chettinad curry.

Spicy chicken 65

Indian chicken chukka curry.

Classic butter chicken.   

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-LITTLE CARE IS NEEDED

Ingredients to cook pepper chicken

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

1/2 a cup of plain yoghurt

2 teaspoons of black peppercorns crushed

Salt to season

1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric powder

5-6 cloves of garlic crushed into a paste(used for marinade and cooking)

3 tablespoons of ginger paste(used for marinade and cooking)

6 cardamom pods crushed(used for marinade and cooking)

3 green chillies

A piece of Cinnamon(1-2 inches)

700g to 1 kg of your favourite chicken parts(this can be a mix of drumsticks, breast, or thighs)

1/4 cup of oil(you might need less so use as needed)

1 teaspoon of mustard seed

2 medium-sized onions finely sliced

A sprig of curry leaves

1 teaspoon of tamarind paste(if using pulp with seeds, soak 1 tablespoon of tamarind with seed in 1/4 cup warm water for 10 minutes, remove seed and use the juice)

1/2 a cup of coconut milk

How to cook Pepper chicken curry

Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.

While you are making the pepper chicken curry, why not learn how to cut a whole chicken for grilling, baking, and curries as well.

An hour or two before you begin cooking, start with the yoghurt chicken marinade.

Have all the ingredients ready, this will help you save time.

A word of advice, if you are using frozen chicken, make sure that the chicken is completely defrosted before marinating it.

The marinade will not be absorbed if the chicken parts are frozen or still cold.

Marinade for the chicken pepper masala.

Choose a pan that can hold all the chicken parts without crowding.

This bowl should also be able to fit into the refrigerator.

Into this bowl, add Yoghurt(1/2 cup), crushed peppercorns(1 tsp), salt, turmeric powder(1/2 tsp), 1 teaspoon of garlic and ginger paste, and 3 cardamoms.

Mix all the ingredients with a spoon.

Season with salt as needed but use it sparingly as you will be adding Tamarind, later in the cooking process.

Place chicken parts in the marinade, and rub it over the chicken thoroughly.

Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, you can also keep the marinated chicken overnight.

How to cook the pepper chicken masala curry.

Once the chicken parts have marinated for 1-2 hours, leave it out for 20 minutes or until they reach room temperature.

While the chicken reaches room temperature, place a large pan over medium heat, pour in the oil, and leave it to heat for a minute or 2.

Once the oil heats, add curry leaves, Onions, ginger-garlic(2 tablespoons), green chillies, cinnamon, the leftover cardamom pods and sauté for 2-3 minutes until all the ingredients turn soft. 5-7 minutes.

Add the mustard seed(1 tsp), cook, until they splutter, and immediately add the chicken parts WITHOUT the marinade and let the chicken sear until they turn light brown on both sides.

leave the pepper chicken until they are slightly brown over medium heat, 10-15 minutes.

While the chicken browns pour tamarind juice(1 tsp) over the remaining marinade in the bowl and mix.

Once the chicken parts are slightly brown, pour in the tamarind with the remaining marinade onto the wok with the browned chicken parts.

Stir constantly and let the gravy reduce by half.

This should take 15-20 minutes over medium heat. check for seasoning.

As the chicken absorbs the tamarind and yoghurt marinade, pour in the coconut milk and cook over medium heat until the gravy is very thick. 

Serve with warm rice or your favourite type of roti.

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