Garlic Pepper Chicken

If you’re a fan of black pepper, you’ll love this curried garlic black pepper chicken. It’s made with a rich, garlic and peppery sauce that’s simply scrumptious. I made this recipe a few times testing the flavours before getting to the final version. A change in the cooking technique made a difference to the consistency and taste of the sauce.

The recipe uses whole black peppercorns when sizzling the whole spices (a debatable ingredient in our household!) and a paste made from ginger, garlic and crushed black peppercorns. Whilst the sauce itself has been a success, the use of whole peppercorns I’m told (by my child) are too spicy and (by my husband) too irritating. Yep, difficult customers giving their not so wanted opinions 😉

Soooooo… use as much or as little of the whole peppercorns as you prefer. The crushed peppercorns bring out a lovely flavour in the sauce nonetheless…and breathe!

I’d be intrigued to hear your feedback on this dish, whole peppercorns OR not? Do let me know what you think in the comments below.

[lt_recipe name=”Garlic Pepper Chicken Recipe” servings=”3″ prep_time=”10M” cook_time=”40M” total_time=”50M” difficulty=”Medium” summary=”A spicy and peppery curry made with chicken drumsticks that packs some heat! Enjoy it with a vegetable fried rice.” print=”yes” image=”https://www.spicella.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Garlic-Black-Pepper-Chicken-thumbnail.png” ingredients=”For the paste:;2 tsp Black Peppercorns;12g Ginger;6 cloves Garlic;;For the Sauce:;1 tsp Black Peppercorns;6 Curry Leaves;1 tsp Cumin seeds;1 1/2 Red onions (medium finely chopped);2 Fresh tomatoes (blended);3 Red Chillies;2 tsp Coriander powder;1/2 tsp Salt;1/2 tsp Turmeric powder;1.5kg Chicken Drumsticks (skinned);60ml Water;Fresh coriander (garnish)” ]Using a pestle & mortar or blender, grind the garlic, ginger and 2 tbs black peppercorns into a paste.;In a large, wide pan, heat 2 tbs oil and temper the black peppercorns, cumin seeds and curry leaves until they sizzle.;Add the finely chopped red onions and cook until golden for about 10 minutes on a medium heat.;Mix in the paste and stir, Cook for 5 minutes.;Once the paste is cooked in, add the blended tomatoes, red chillies, salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and let this cook for 5 minutes.;Once the sauce starts to bubble, mix in the chicken drumsticks and coat them with the sauce. Cook for 5 minutes with the lid on.;Pour in water, stir and cook for a further 20-25 minutes. Turn and baste the chicken every so often.;Once cooked, garnish with fresh coriander.[/lt_recipe]

Equipment required

• Pestle and mortar or grinder
• Large, non-stick pan

Tips for making Garlic Pepper Chicken

• If you’re not a fan of crunching on whole peppercorns, leave the black peppercorns (1 tsp) out when cooking the whole spices.