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Andhra Pepper Chicken 

Pepper chicken is a staple in most restaurants in India and every region and cuisine has their own version. This is a popular dish in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana , which is in the Southern region of India. Thi dregion is the largest producer of red chillies and it has a major influence on its cuisine.  

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This version of Pepper chicken is dry and pairs perfectly with a bowl of steamed rice or relished as an appetizer. If you would prefer Pepper Chicken Gravy, follow the modified instruction at the bottom of the recipe. This is a spice forward dish and you can reduce the pepper to suit your spice tolerance. 

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Making Andhra Pepper Chicken - let's get started.


Marinate the chicken: Add ground ginger, garlic, lemon and a pinch of turmeric to the cut up chicken. Mix it really well and let it marinate in the fridge for about an hour.


Prepare the Pepper chicken: Bring the chicken out and let it come to room temperature. Heat up a large work or saute pan and add oil and let it warm up till it shimmers. Add the torn curry leaves and let it splutter, then add half a stick of cinnamon. Add thinly sliced onions and slit green chillies and saute on medium flame till the onions turn golden. Next, add the marinated chicken and stir it in till the chicken turns white outside. Now, add ground up pepper, coriander powder and salt. Now, add half a cup of water and cover the pan to let the chicken cook till no longer pink. Continue to cook uncovered till the water evaporates. Now add a tablespoon of olive oil and stir into the chicken. Continue adding a tablespoon of water as and when needed till the chicken is fully cooked and soft. Add crushed pepper and finely chopped cilantro leaves in the end along with lemon juice. 

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Spice level: As I mentioned, this is a spice forward dish and if you have medium tolerance for pepper, I would recommend a total of 1 1/2 tablespoons of pepper, tasting the chicken in the end and adding additional crushed pepper in the end if desired. 

Andhra Pepper Chicken

Ingredients

For marination

  • Chicken - 1lb, chopped up, skinless and bone in

  • Ginger - 1 inch, ground up with garlic below

  • Peeled garlic - 10

  • Lemon juice - freshly squeezed from 1 lemon (reserve a teaspoon for garnish)

  • Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

  • Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

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For Pepper Chicken 

  • Olive oil - 2 tablespoons 

  • Cinnamon - 1/2 stick

  • Onion - 2 medium sized, thinly sliced

  • Garlic - 5, finely minced

  • Ginger - 1 inch, finely minced or ground

  • Green chillies - 4, slit lengthwise

  • Curry leaves - 4 springs, roughly torn

  • Black peppercorns- 2 1/2 tablespoons, coarsely pounded

  • Coriander powder - 2  teaspoons 

  • Salt - as needed

 

To Garnish

  • Coriander Leaves - 2 tablespoons, chopped 

  • Black peppercorns - 2 teaspoons, coarsely pounded

  • Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon

Preparation

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  1. Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, add the ground ginger garlic paste, lemon juice and turmeric to the cut up chicken. Mix them really well, cover the bowl and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

  2. Prep the ingredients: After an hour, bring the marinated chicken out and let it come to room temperature. In the meantime, prep all the ingredients - chopping, mincing, slicing, slitting, tearing and of course pounding.

  3. Prepare the pepper chicken: Heat up a large work or saute pan and add a tablespoon of oil to it. Once it shimmers, add the torn curry leaves and let them splutter. Add half a stick of cinnamon, thinly sliced onions and slit green chillies to the pan. Saute on medium flame till the onions turn golden.

  4. Next, add the marinated chicken and stir till the chicken turns white outside. Now, add the ground up pepper, coriander powder and salt. Add half a cup of water and cover the pan to let the chicken cook till it's no longer pink. Continue to cook uncovered till the water evaporates.

  5. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and stir into the chicken. Continue adding a tablespoon of water as and when needed till the chicken is fully cooked and soft.

  6. Garnish: Add crushed pepper and finely chopped cilantro leaves in the end along with lemon juice. 

  7. Serve piping hot with steamed basmati rice or rotis. 

  8. Enjoy!

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Modifications:

  • If you like a Pepper Chicken Gravy instead of the dry version, simply add an additional cup of water to the chicken in step 4 and cook till the chicken is soft cooked all the way through. You can skip step 5.   ​

Some of my favorite products

Mortar and Pestle Set

Paprika

Silicone Baking Mat

Did you try making this dish? I'd LOVE to see it! 

Snap a picture and hashtag #tessiefoodculture or tag me @tessiefoodculture on Instagram or facebook!

 

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