Kerala Style Pepper Chicken (Nadan Kurumulaku Kozhi)
Ingredients
Marination
- 1 Kilogram chicken
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons pepper powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
Masala
- 4 Onions (medium)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons ginger , crushed
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons garlic , crushed
- 3 green chilli , slit lengthwise
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons black pepper Whole
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons garam masala
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon fennel powder ( Perinjeerakam powder)
- 2 sprig curry leaves
- 3 tbsps coconut oil
- 1 cup Small Thin square size coconut slices (thengakothu, optional)
- 2 teaspoon vinegar (optional)
- salt
Instructions
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Marinate the cleaned chicken pieces with salt, pepper powder, turmeric powder and lemon juice. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.
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Crush the whole black pepper and keep it aside. Adjust black pepper according to your spice tolerance level.
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Thinly slice onions and green chilly. Grind ginger and garlic into a fine paste. Thinly slice coconut into square bite-size pieces. Check the notes for details on coconut bite-sized pieces.
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Heat 2 tsps oil in a pan and fry coconut pieces until it becomes golden brown color. Keep it aside.
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In a kadai/pan, heat the oil. When hot enough, add onions and curry leaves and saute well. Adding salt, helps the onion to get cooked fast.
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When the onions are brown, add the ginger, garlic and green chilli. Saute well till the aromatics release their flavor.
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Add garam masala, fennel powder and crushed black pepper. Saute well.
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Add marinated chicken pieces and stir around till the chicken pieces are well coated with the masalas. Don't add water.
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Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
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Now open the lid and cook until the water evaporates. Add fried coconut bite-size pieces.
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Add 2 - 3 tsps oil and saute it until it gets roasted/fried well. If you like extra sourness, add vinegar. I like to add 2-3 tsp of vinegar at the end for sourness. It's optional. Add it, only if you want it more sour. Best served with rice :)
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
You can use either fresh coconut square bite-sized pieces or frozen ones. Don't go for dried coconut. I have tried using both fresh and frozen ones.
Thighs and mixed chicken curry cut pieces will work out for this. I don’t prefer boneless breast piece. It doesn’t have much fat on it. Boneless thigh piece is fine. Just cut it into 2-inch pieces and use it.
This is a traditional Kerala style chicken in spicy brown gravy preparation. I have tried to keep the recipe simple by using simple ingredients, which are most of the time readily available in our kitchens and the method to this flavorful delicacy is very intuitive and easy to follow.Tastes best when prepared with chicken with bone.
Though quite a few spices are used in this gravy, peppercorn is the magic ingredient here which adds a punch to the recipe. But strongly recommend you not to skip any of the ingredients listed.