Indian cooking / Dishes / Kali Mirch ka Murg

Kali Mirch ka Murg

Pepper Chicken in Thick Sauce

Non-vegetarian●●●Origin PunjabPrep 30 minutes, plus marinating timeCook 45 minutes

A fragrant, peppery chicken curry with a rich, clinging gravy flavoured intensely with black pepper, ginger, and garlic.

Marinade aromatics

16 gMixed into the marinade (step 1)

Garlic paste · Lahsun Paste Make it: Pisi Lehsun →

5 g1 teaspoon

aromatic

Ginger paste · Adrak Paste Make it: Pisi Adrak →

10 g2 teaspoons

aromatic

Stir together into a smooth paste.

Whole peppercorns

17 gFried with the onion paste (step 3)

Black peppercorn · Kali Mirch

17 g2 tablespoons

spice

Keep whole: they go into the hot oil with the onion paste.

Everything else

Lemon juice · Nimbu Ka Ras

15 g1 tablespoon

souring agent

Chicken · Murghcut into pieces and skinned

1000 g

poultry

Vegetable oil · Tel

114 g125 ml

oil/fat

Onion · Pyazsliced

100 g

vegetable

Onion · Pyazground to a paste

100 g

vegetable

Salt · Namak

to taste

salt

Method

Combine the marinade aromatics (5.2 g garlic paste and 10.4 g ginger paste) with 15.3 g lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Rub this paste thoroughly over 1000 g chicken, cover, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Warm 114 g vegetable oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Tip in 100 g sliced onion and sauté for 2 minutes until translucent.
Stir in 100 g onion paste and the whole peppercorns. Fry together for 1 to 2 minutes until pale golden.
Transfer the marinated chicken into the pan. Fry for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until any liquid released by the meat has fully evaporated.
Pour in 125 ml water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, place a lid on the pan, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Take off the lid, raise the heat, and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes until the chicken is tender and a layer of oil surfaces on the sauce.

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Garlic paste

Garlic
Use equal weight; crush or finely grate to a smooth pulp to replicate the same fresh, pungent moisture in your base gravy.
Garlic powder
Use 20 to 25% of the weight; mix with a teaspoon of water before adding to oil so it does not burn, noting it lacks the fresh bite.

Ginger paste

Fresh ginger
Use equal weight; peel and grate very finely on a microplane or pound to a fine paste in a mortar.
Ginger
Use equal weight; mince finely and crush with the flat of a knife before frying.
Ground ginger
Use 20% of the weight; add directly with the dry spice powders, though it yields an earthier, less pungent profile.

Lemon juice

Lime juice
Use equal volume or weight; delivers almost identical sharp acidity with a faintly more aromatic, bitter-edged profile.
Dried mango powder
Use 25% of the weight (about 1 g amchoor for 4 g juice); provides clean fruity tartness without thinning the sauce.
White vinegar
Use 75% of the volume; gives direct sourness without any citrus floral fragrance.

Chicken

Turkey thigh
Use 100% of the weight, cut into equivalent bone-in or boneless pieces. Simmer for an extra 5 to 10 minutes; flavour and texture are very similar.
Lamb
Use 100% of the weight. Cut into bite-sized pieces and extend simmering time by 35 to 50 minutes, adding extra liquid to allow the meat to tenderise.

Vegetable oil

Peanut oil
Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
Ghee
Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oil
Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Onion

Shallot
Use equal weight, finely sliced. Shallots soften and brown faster, giving a slightly sweeter and more delicate base to curries.
Cabbage
Use 80% of the weight, finely shredded and browned slowly with a pinch of asafoetida. Replicates the bulk and natural sweetness in gravies without allium.

Black peppercorn

Coarsely ground black pepper
Use 75% of the weight. Add midway through simmering; spreads heat evenly through the dish instead of delivering isolated bursts.
Ground black pepper
Use 50% of the weight. Stir in near the end of cooking; significantly darkens light gravies and provides an immediate, sharp bite.

Similar dishes

Murg Manpasand

Steamed Chicken Patties

Murg Manpasand tastes warmly spiced and herbal with chilli heat rather than intensely peppery and tangy like this dish.

Same: Murg Manpasand shares chicken prepared with onion, ginger paste, garlic paste, black peppercorns, and vegetable oil with this dish.
Different: Rather than chicken simmered in an oily, lemon-soured gravy, Murg Manpasand mixes in green chillies, garam masala, and coriander leaves to form patties that are steamed and lightly pan-seared.

Aksa Pok

Chicken with Ginger

Aksa Pok has a light, brothy ginger heat, lacking the rich, pungent black pepper bite and citrusy acidity of this dish.

Same: Both dishes are built on chicken seasoned with salt and ginger paste.
Different: Aksa Pok is simmered as a broth without cooking oil, onions, garlic, lemon juice, or black pepper, relying instead on dried red chilli and triple the ginger.

Murg Kali Mirch

Pepper Chicken

Murg Kali Mirch tastes creamier with a mellow dairy tang, whereas this dish has a sharper citrus acidity and stronger ginger heat.

Same: Murg Kali Mirch shares a base of chicken cooked with onions, ginger, garlic, and vegetable oil.
Different: Murg Kali Mirch uses plain yogurt instead of lemon juice for its sauce, contains less ginger paste, and cooks in less oil.

Tandoori Murg

Grilled (Broiled) Chicken

Tandoori Murg tastes smoky, tangy, and warmly spiced rather than intensely peppery like this dish.

Same: Tandoori Murg also uses chicken seasoned with ginger paste, garlic paste, lemon juice, and vegetable oil.
Different: Tandoori Murg is roasted dry rather than stewed into an onion gravy, adding garam masala and chaat masala while leaving out the black peppercorns and onions.