Tellicherry Pepper Chicken ~ Succulent Chicken with Pepper, Spices & aromatic Kari leaves
My mother has always admired strong spirited women - being one herself & coming from a family of such women, this comes as no surprise.
I have always seen my mother heavily involved in community service. She once took on the daunting task of planting & maintaining 100 trees in the streets of our suburb in Mumbai. One day I came home from school to find her knee deep in earthworms because she decided that the redundant triangular patch of dirt outside our kitchen window, in our apartment building would best serve as a vermicompost pit.
Needless to say, she's also the one with the heartiest laughter in the room!
I would often hear her speak of a women she admired one of whom was Thangam. E. Phillip who was best known for her role as the Dean of Dadar Catering College in Mumbai & her philanthropy as she worked to launch the UN's Freedom From Hunger campaign
Her pinnacle of recognition was when she earned India's highest honor the Padmashree, for her service to the development of hotel and catering education & was honored with the Knighthood of the Order of "Cordon Bleu Du Sant Esprit' from France.
This is her recipe and has been a staple in my mother's kitchen and this recipe along with the memories of her story continue to reside in mine.
Black Tellicherry peppercorns are some of the finest in the world with their large size and robust, pungent flavors & heady aroma. They reign supreme in the town of Tellicherry on the Malabar Coast of Southern India.
It would be best to seek Tellicherry peppercorns for this recipe but you may substitute with regular peppercorns. Omission of kari leaves however, is not recommended. These are easily available at an Indo-Pak grocery store.
The ingredients for this dish are - young skinless chicken, yellow onions, garlic, ginger, cumin seeds, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, Tellicherry peppercorns, kari leaves, vegetable oil & salt.
Chicken - Skin the chicken & cut at all the joints. Cut the each breast into 4 pieces. Cut & discard excess fat.
Garlic - Peel & set aside
Ginger - Peel & roughly chop
Cilantro - Wash
leaves, discard stems & finely chop. Place in a bowl of water till
ready to use. Discard water & drain before using as a garnish
Masala {Spice} Paste- In a mini chopper place the peppercorns and pulverize till the peppercorns have broken down into small pieces. Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt and finely chop for a few seconds. Add 6-8 tbs water and blend to a fine paste.
Place the chicken in a large pan. Pour the masala paste over the chicken. Rinse the mini-chopper bowl with 1/3 cup water and our over the chicken. Stir to mix.
Over medium heat, allow the chicken to cook, covered with a tight lid, for 30 minutes.
In the meanwhile prepare the onions -
Yellow onions - Peel & roughly quarter. In a rinsed out mini chopper, chop till fine. Do not allow it to turn into a paste.
In a separate large saute pan (large enough to accommodate the chicken) heat the vegetable oil till fuming. Add the curry leaves & as soon as it sizzles, add the chopped onions.
Saute over medium heat for 15-20 minutes till onions are soft and very light brown.
Once the chicken has been cooking for 30 minutes transfer the chicken to the onions and stir till well mixed. Cook for about another 15 minutes covered with a tight lid till the chicken is soft & completely cooked.
Taste & adjust seasonings. Remove to a serving bowl & sprinkle with chopped cilantro leaves.
Indian meals are traditionally served in metal plates called thalis like the one in the pic above. These are made of metal - Gold for kings, stainless steel & brass for daily use. Silver thalis are reserved for special occasions.
Since this chicken is traditional to South India, it is eaten with plain steamed rice. The chicken is very tender & moist and the flavors of the peppercorns though robust, is subdued and adds just the right touch of heat without setting your mouth on fire.
The flavors & aroma of the spices and the peppercorns is mouthwatering and savory. The meal was delicious & was devoured by the kids as well.
I also love how easy and uncomplicated a preparation it is for a weeknight dinner. A simple tomato, cucumber, cilantro salad & a lemon vinaigrette on the side is a refreshing accompaniment.
Recipe for
TELLICHERRY PEPPER CHICKEN
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cooking Time - 45 minutes
Serves 4
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Young whole chicken, defrosted
2 small yellow onions
1 strand kari leaves
4 tbs vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
4-5 sprigs cilantro
Masala {Spice} paste -
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbs Tellicherry peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
8 garlic cloves
1" piece fresh ginger root
1-1/2 tsp salt
6-8 tbs water
Preparation -Chicken - Skin the chicken & cut at all the joints. Cut the each breast into 4 pieces. Cut & discard excess fat.
Garlic - Peel & set aside
Ginger - Peel & roughly chop
Cilantro - Wash leaves, discard stems & finely chop. Place in a bowl of water till ready to use. Discard water & drain before using as a garnish
Masala {Spice} Paste- In a mini chopper place the peppercorns and pulverize till the peppercorns have broken down into small pieces. Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt and finely chop for a few seconds. Add 6-8 tbs water and blend to a fine paste.
Yellow onions - Peel & roughly quarter. In a rinsed out mini chopper, chop till fine. Do not allow it to turn into a paste.Cooking Method -
Place the chicken in a large pan. Pour the masala paste over the chicken. Rinse the mini-chopper bowl with 1/3 cup water and our over the chicken. Stir to mix.
Over medium heat, allow the chicken to cook, covered with a tight lid, for 30 minutes.
In a large separate saute pan (large enough to accommodate the chicken) heat the vegetable oil till fuming. Add the curry leaves & as soon as it sizzles, add the chopped onions.
Saute over medium heat for 15-20 minutes till onions are soft and very light brown.
Once the chicken has been cooking for 30 minutes transfer the chicken to the onions and stir till well mixed.
Cook for about another 15 minutes covered with a tight lid till the chicken is soft & completely cooked.
Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro leaves.
Enjoy with steamed white rice !
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