Kerala Pepper Chicken Fry

Preparation time: 60-80 minutes + 4 hours marination | Serves: 4 people

My dad is from North India and my mum is South Indian, so even though I grew up in Delhi, I enjoyed trying delicacies from the South at a young age. It was a time where regional Indian cuisine didn't stretch too far from state borders, and eating locally grown ingredients wasn't a fine-dining concept, it's just what everyone did.

True to the tropical nature of the area, curry leaves, mustard seeds, good quality pepper and coconut grow in abundance and are used in almost everything.

This homemade Kerala Chicken Fry recipe features those classic South Indian ingredients and eating it reminds me of how far we can travel from our kitchens, without even leaving home.

Use the best pepper you can find for this Pepper Chicken Fry recipe -

As the name suggests, good quality pepper is such an important ingredient in this recipe. Kerala is often known as the birthplace of black pepper and grows some of the best pepper in the world - hence this aromatic spice features largely in several traditional recipes from there.

While I didn’t have the chance to use pepper from Kerala, I did use a beautiful Australian brand called Pep, who source their peppercorns from the Memot region in Cambodia, known for its deeply complex flavours.

For this Kerala-style chicken dish, whole peppercorns are dry toasted with fresh curry leaves and coconut, then ground into a fragrant spice powder which helps to thicken the curry while adding nutty, earthy notes.

This is meant to be a ‘dry curry’ hence the name ‘fry’. I love serving it with lots of toasted curry leaves and soaking up all the flavours with a flaky Malabar Paratha.

---

Ingredients -

• 1kg skinless, boneless chicken thighs

• 1-2 tbsps. coconut oil

• 1 red onion, diced

• 5-6 garlic cloves

• 1 inch ginger

• 1 green chilli

• 1 tomato, diced

For the marinade + spice mix -

• 1/2 tbsp peppercorns

• 2 tsps. fennel seeds

• 4 tbsps. desiccated/ ground coconut

• Handful of curry leaves + more to serve

• 1 dry red chilli

• 1 tsp. mustard seeds

• 2 tsps. Kashmiri chilli powder (divided)

• 2 tsps. ground turmeric (divided)

• 2 tbsps ground coriander (divided)

• 3 tsps. garam masala (divided)

• Salt and ground pepper, to taste

To serve -

• Malabar paratha/ parotta

Method -

For the marinade -

1. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.

2. Marinate with 1 tsp each of chilli, coriander, turmeric and garam masala, along with a pinch of salt for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.

Making the pepper fry -

1. Toast whole peppercorns and fennel seeds in a dry pan for 1 to 2 minutes. Add coconut and a handful of curry leaves, toasting until golden.

2. Cool and blend with garlic, ginger, fresh chilli and the remaining spices, from the marinade.

3. Heat 1 tbsp. coconut oil in a large pan and add the mustard seeds and dried chilli. Once the seeds pop, add the onion and fry until softened.

4. Pour in the remaining coconut oil, then add the spice and ginger garlic paste mix. Fry until fragrant and the oil begins to leave the paste.

5. Add chopped tomato, then the marinated chicken. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

6. Adjust consistency with a splash water if needed, or cook down to thicken. Season with salt and a big pinch of pepper.

7. Serve with flaky parotta and toasted curry leaves.

---

Other chicken recipes you might enjoy -

One Pan Roasted Za'atar Chicken

Slow Cooked Chicken & Date Tagine

Air Fryer Korean Chicken Wings

Baked Shawarma Chicken & Rice

---

RECIPE NOTES

Swaps, Serves & Storage

1. Do I have to use boneless chicken pieces?
   Skinless, boneless chicken thighs are the easiest and quickest cut of chicken to cook, however you can use diced chicken breast or chicken drumsticks instead. Adjust the cooking time accordingly - longer for bone in cuts of chicken, and shorter for chicken breast.

2. What else can I serve this chicken with?
   You can serve this chicken with dosa, idli, roti, appam or rice. I’d suggest adding more water and having more of a ‘gravy’ if serving with rice.

3. How long can I store the Kerala chicken fry for?
   You can store this chicken for up to 5 days in the fridge. The flavours will develop and deepen over time, and as everybody knows curry always tastes better the day after!

---