Recipe- South Indian Style Semi Dry Chicken Pepper Fry

Kozhi milagu pirattal is a semi-dry South Indian chicken side dish, mainly spiced with black peppercorns.

Chicken fry recipes are very much versatile and you can find hundreds of them around the world. This is one of my chicken varuval recipes which pairs well with sambar rice and rasam rice. In fact, my kids like this kozhi pirattal very much with soft appams.

Try this hot and delicious pepper chicken once and it will become a regular Sunday recipe in your kitchen.

Is this pepper chicken gluten-free?

Yes, it is. There is no flour addition here and completely a grain-free and gluten-free recipe. Hence you can make it a whole meal with just a cup of buttermilk as a side and a salad of your choice.

For an extra flavorful Milagu kozhi pirattal try to use freshly made black pepper powder either coarse grind or finely ground.

Moreover, as I said you can always make adjustments to the recipe ingredients like lemon juice instead of tomato, shallots in place of big onions and so. But be sure to cook the chicken at right texture, soft and tender. Usually, the chicken gets cooked in just ten minutes maximum in any recipe. Coming to this kozhi varuval, I prefer to use chicken with bones especially thigh pieces. If you are using boneless chicken reduce the cooking time as prolonged cooking makes the pieces rubbery.

Ingredients

500 g chicken with bones
4 tbsp gingelly oil
2 cardamom
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
2 big onions
2 sprig curry leaves
3 green chillies
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 to matoes
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp salt as per taste
2 tbsp black pepper powder
¼ cup water
Coriander leaves

Method

* Wash the chicken pieces with running water and drain well.

* Tap excess water from the pieces with a kitchen tissue.

* Chop onions and tomatoes, make ginger garlic paste if you don't have it already. Alternately you can use finely chopped ginger(1-inch) and 6 garlic pods.

* I always grind pepper powder once a week and keep ready for the recipes.

* You can also use store-bought ready-made powder or grind freshly.

* Heat gingelly oil(plus ghee-optional) and fry all the whole spices together. I used cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and a bay leaf.

* Add cumin seeds and fennel seeds and let them crackle.

* Now add the finely chopped onions and saute well.

* Put some curry leaves and slit green chillies.

* Saute until the onions become soft and browned.

* Add ginger-garlic paste or finely chopped ginger and garlic.

* Saute for few minutes until the raw smell disappears completely.

* Add tomatoes and cook them soft.

* Put the turmeric powder and coriander powder. Adding chilli powder is optional for color.

* Add the chicken pieces and mix well.

* Now put the required salt and fresh black pepper powder. I always have stock of homemade fine pepper powder as well as coarsely ground pepper powder.

* Do not add water. Cover with a lid, keep the heat to a medium-high setting.

* Let the chicken cook in its own juice for around 6 minutes.

* Open the lid and mix in-between to avoid burning the bottom and check the proper heat setting also.

* After a few minutes, the chicken pieces would be almost cooked (3/4th cooked) from the heat and its water.

* Now add some quarter cup of water (only if you use chicken with bones) and cover again for five minutes.

* For boneless chicken don't add water(just sprinkle water if needed).

* After a total ten minutes, open the lid and switch off at the desired consistency.

* By this time the chicken pieces will be tenderly cooked and become semi-dry, darkly browned as shown.

* For extra dry chicken, pirattal leaves on the stove for few more minutes.

* Garnish with coriander leaves or finely chopped mint leaves for flavorful spicy kozhi milagu pirattal.