PEPPER CHICKEN

It is a superb one-pot chicken recipe, uniquely flavoured by a sprinkling of crushed peppercorns, cardamom pods and a ginger and garlic paste. If you don’t want to use chicken on the bone, use skinned pieces of chicken breast, which will also speed up this recipe considerably. Fabulous served right away, this Indian pepper chicken also keeps wonderfully for the next day.

PEPPER CHICKEN INGREDIENTS

1 chicken, skinned
2 tsp garlic purée
2 tsp ginger, finely grated
4 cinnamon sticks
4 cardamom pods
4 cloves
2 red onions, finely sliced
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
3 curry leaves
3 green chillies, cut lengthways
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp peppercorns, crushed
vegetable oil
salt

First, prepare the skinned chicken by cutting each breast into 3 pieces and each leg into 2 pieces (thigh and leg). Set aside until required

1 chicken

Make a paste by mixing together the garlic purée and the finely grated ginger

2 tsp garlic purée
2 tsp ginger

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Add the cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods and cloves and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the sliced onions, stirring occasionally until nicely coloured

4 cinnamon sticks
4 cardamom pods
4 cloves
2 red onions
vegetable oil

Add the pieces of bone-on chicken, add the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, ground cumin, ground coriander and salt and cook for 10 minutes

1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
salt

Add 1/2 a cup of hot water, stir well, cover with a lid and simmer for a further 15 minutes

Now add the green chillies, curry leaves and chopped tomatoes. Turn up the heat and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through – prod the thighs and drumsticks with a fork to judge whether they are cooked through or not