Chicken Kali Mirch translates to "chicken with black pepper" in Hindi. Unlike other Indian chicken curries that are red and tomato-based, this one uses a white gravy made with onions, yogurt, cream (optional), and a generous amount of black pepper.
This restaurant-style Indian chicken curry recipe is perfect for your next dinner. Whether you're planning a special weekend meal or just craving something spicy and comforting, Chicken Kali Mirch is a restaurant-style dish you can make easily at home.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Kali Mirch
- 🌶 Spicy yet balanced – The black pepper adds heat without overwhelming the dish.
- 🍗 Tender chicken – Marinated chicken is juicy and flavorful.
- 🥣 Creamy and aromatic gravy – Made with yogurt, cream ( optional), and whole spices.
- 🍽️ Perfect for parties or weeknight dinners – Pairs wonderfully with naan, roti, or jeera rice.
Ingredients you need for Chicken Kali Mirch
Chicken - You can choose with bones or boneless as per your liking. I used boneless chicken thigh.
Red onion - I used red onion, but you can use white or yellow onion too.
Cashew - Cashew adds a lovely creaminess to the dish. If you are allergic to nuts, then definitely skip and use melon seeds instead.
Black peppers - Black pepper is the key spice for the dish. I use a lot of it while marinating chicken and a bit more while cooking.
Garlic and Ginger - Like any chicken curry, you will need garlic and ginger too along with green chili as per your taste bud and how much heat you would prefer.
Yogurt - Yogurt adds the creamy texture to the gravy. I didn't marinade the chicken with yogurt, instead added it later. But you can choose to add yogurt to the marinade too.
Other spices - You will need few whole spices - bay leaves, green cardamoms, cumin seeds and fennel seeds. You will also need ground cumin powder and ground fennel powder.
Ghee and Oil - I like to use both ghee and oil while preparing this dish. Ghee will add a nutty aroma to this dish.
Steps to prepare
Start by marinating the chicken pieces with grated garlic, ginger and lots of grated black pepper along with salt and lemon juice. You can either marinate it a few hours before you're planning to prepare the curry. But for best flavor, I always prefer to let the chicken marinate overnight.
Soak the cashew for 20 minutes. This will help to soften the cashew and make the gravy creamy.
In a pan, add oil and ghee. Once heated, add the whole spices and stir it around.
Next, add the sliced onion along with salt and soaked cashew. Stir it around to soften the onion. Next, add the fennel powder and cumin powder. Cook for 4 minutes.
Once done, let it cool for a while and then take everything to a blender or chopper except the bay leaves. Blend into a thick paste.
To the same pan, add a little bit more ghee along with cinnamon sticks and let it sizzle for a while.
Scatter the marinated chicken pieces and stir it around to cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the onion and cashew paste and mix it around.
Cook for 1 minute and the pour hot water and bring it to boil. Then lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
In a small bowl or jar, add yogurt and whisk it with a little bit of flour. The flour will avoid the yogurt from curdling.
Add the whisked yogurt to the pan and stir it around.
Check for salt and add more if needed. Add a few slit green chilies and some more freshly grated black pepper. Stir it around and Chicken Kali Mirch is ready to be served.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken Kali Mirch pairs wonderfully with Indian breads like naan, roti, or paratha. It’s also great with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice. A side of cooling cucumber raita/ beetroot raita balances the spiciness perfectly.
FAQS
It has a moderate heat that comes mainly from black pepper rather than red chili powder. The spice is warming and aromatic rather than overwhelmingly hot.
If you want a dairy-free option, you can use coconut milk or cashew cream to get a similar creamy texture.
Naan, roti, steamed rice, or jeera rice are classic sides. Cucumber raita or a simple salad also complement the dish well.
Yes! Brown the spices and onions on the stove first, then add everything to the slow cooker or Instant Pot. Cook until the chicken is tender.
More chicken recipes to try:
Chicken Over Rice (Halal cart-style)
Creamy Malai Chicken - Murgh Malaiwala
Caramelized Onion Chicken Curry
Chicken Kali Mirch is a fantastic dish for anyone looking to explore Indian cuisine beyond the usual curries. Its rich, peppery flavor makes it stand out and keeps you coming back for more.
Chicken Kali Mirch
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Chicken (You can choose to use chicken with bones or boneless)
- 1 Red Onion
- ¼ cup Cashew
- ½ cup Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 Green chili
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 tablespoon Oil
To Marinate the chicken
- 3 tablespoon Black pepper
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
Spices you need
- 1 Bay leaf
- 4 Green cardamoms
- ½ tablespoon Cumin seeds
- ½ tablespoon Fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds powder
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick
Instructions
Marinating the chicken
- Using a motor pestle or a spice grinder, grind the black pepper and garlic with salt. Add that to the chicken pieces. Pour the lemon juice and mix it with the chicken pieces. Let the chicken marinade for minimum 4 hrs or overnight for best flavor.
Preparing the curry
- Soak the cashew in hot water and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Thinly slice the onion.
- To a hot pan, add 1 tablespoon ghee and oil. Add the bay leaves, green cardamoms, cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Let it sizzle for a few seconds.
- Scatter the onion along with soaked cashew and season with salt. Stir it around for 2 minutes to soften the onion.
- Add cumin powder, coriander powder and fennel powder. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Switch off the gas and let it cool down for 2 minutes. Carefully remove the bay leaves and blend the cooked onion and cashew to a paste like consistency.
- To the same pan now add 1 tablespoon ghee and cinnamon sticks. Stir it around and let it sizzle for a few seconds.
- Scatter the marinated chicken pieces and toss it all around. Let it cook for 2 minutes and then add the onion and cashew paste. Stir it around to mix everything.
- Pour enough hot water to make the gravy and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- In a small cup or bowl, whisk yogurt with a little flour and after the chicken is cooked through, add it to the pan and mix it around. Let it simmer for 1 minute.
- Check for salt and add more if needed. Finish the dish by adding more freshly grated black pepper.
- Enjoy Chicken kali mirch with your choice of bread or rice.
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