Black Pepper Chicken Curry
I'm sharing this recipe. He writes: This has got to be one of the best, and simplest, curry recipes I've cooked. Basic store-cupboard ingredients, and virtually none of the 'standard' curry spices, yet this is amazingly good. This recipe is based on something I saw Atul Kotcher cooking some time ago - my hero!
I'm sharing this recipe. He writes: This has got to be one of the best, and simplest, curry recipes I've cooked. Basic store-cupboard ingredients, and virtually none of the 'standard' curry spices, yet this is amazingly good. This recipe is based on something I saw Atul Kotcher cooking some time ago - my hero!
- marinade:
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp garlic crushed
- 2 tsp ginger grated
- 3 tbsp greek yoghurt
- 1 tsp black pepper ground
- 2 large chicken breasts chopped
- sauce :
- 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp black pepper ground)
- 1 tbsp ginger grated
- 3 large onions finely sliced
- 1 handful of coriander leaves chopped
- Carbohydrate 31.6524465 g
- Cholesterol 137.339375 mg
- Fat 3.53750375 g
- Fiber 6.26407508969307 g
- Protein 59.365288875 g
- Saturated Fat 0.99058975 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (529g)
- Sodium 184.0556375 mg
- Sugar 25.3883714103069 g
- Trans Fat 0.924314875 g
- Calories 395 calories
Step-by-step
- Make up the marinade by thoroughly mixing all marinade ingredients together. Leave for at least 30 minutes, but ideally a couple of hours.
- Heat up the oil and fry the black pepper for a minute before adding the onions and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes or so until lightly brown.
- Add the chicken & marinade and cook hard for 5 minutes. Turn down the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through (10-15 minutes). Add a little water if necessary.
- Stir in the coriander and serve
When working within a strict two-and-a-half-hour total window, marinating the chicken for at least thirty minutes allows the acid from the lime juice and the enzymes in the Greek yogurt to tenderize the meat without breaking down its structure prematurely. Yogurt creates a protective barrier that keeps moisture locked inside the protein fibers during the initial high-heat sear, preventing the chicken from turning stringy or dry.
Frying the ground black pepper in hot vegetable oil for precisely one minute before introducing the onions blooms the fat-soluble compounds, shifting the spice profile from harsh to deeply aromatic. This blooming step requires careful temperature management to avoid scorching the pepper, which introduces an acrid bitterness that no amount of subsequent simmering can correct.
Finely slicing three large onions ensures they melt down uniformly during the five-minute browning phase, building the dense base necessary for a cohesive sauce without requiring heavy cream or complex thickeners. Stirring the chicken and its clinging marinade into the pan and cooking hard for five minutes develops foundational fond on the bottom of the skillet, which is then reincorporated as moisture is released.
Simmering the covered pan over reduced heat for ten to fifteen minutes finishes the cooking process safely while retaining enough residual liquid to coat the back of a spoon. Folding in fresh coriander leaves at the very end preserves their volatile essential oils, contrasting sharply with the pungent heat of the cracked pepper.
