Chicken Pepper Roast

Name: Chicken Pepper Roast
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Kerala Cuisine
Ingredients: 1 kg skinless chicken, cut into curry pieces; ½ teaspoon turmeric powder; ¾ teaspoon fine salt; 4 tablespoons coconut oil; 3 medium onions, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste; 2 medium tomatoes, chopped; 2 sprigs curry leaves, divided; 1½ tablespoons coriander powder; 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder; ½ teaspoon turmeric powder; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon garam masala; 1 teaspoon fine salt; 25–40g thin coconut slivers; 80 ml water or stock; 1 tablespoon coconut oil; 2 tablespoons chopped coriander

About Chicken Pepper Roast

Chicken Pepper Roast is a Kerala-style chicken dish built around black pepper, curry leaves, onion and a thick, reduced masala. Unlike a loose chicken curry, the finished dish should be dark, aromatic and lightly dry, with the spice mixture clinging closely to the chicken.

Black pepper gives the dish its defining warmth, but it should not be the only flavour. Slowly cooked onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and warming spices create the depth underneath the pepper, while a final touch of coconut oil can bring the flavours together.

Chicken Pepper Roast is especially good with Kerala parotta, chapati, appam, bread or Kerala Matta rice. It also works well as a buffet item, a bar-food style dish or a more substantial side on a sharing menu.

Cooking Chicken Pepper Roast Outside Its Home Region

For home cooks, South Indian caterers and restaurant kitchens outside Kerala, including across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, North America, Australia and New Zealand, the main challenge is building enough flavour without drying out the chicken.

For home cooks, boneless chicken thigh or small bone-in chicken pieces both work well.Thin coconut slivers are often fried first in coconut oil, then reserved while the onion and spice base is built in the same flavoured oil. Folded back in towards the end, they add toasted aroma and small bursts of texture through the roast.

Cook the chicken until tender first, then reduce it with the onion and pepper masala towards the end. Freshly cracked black pepper gives the best aroma, while dried curry leaves are widely available through South Asian grocery shops and work well in the roast base or final finish.

For professional kitchens, Chicken Pepper Roast is best made in two stages. Cook the chicken in the base until tender, then complete the final reduction and pepper finish in smaller batches closer to service. This gives better control over moisture and prevents the dish becoming dry during holding.

A good Chicken Pepper Roast should be rich, peppery and well reduced, with tender chicken that is coated in masala rather than sitting in excess sauce.

Chicken Pepper Roast

CoChilli pro

Servings

4 servings

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Cuisine

Kerala Cuisine

Ingredients

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1 kg skinless chicken, cut into curry pieces
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¾ teaspoon fine salt

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4 tablespoons coconut oil
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 sprigs curry leaves, divided
1½ tablespoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon fine salt
25–40g thin coconut slivers

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80 ml water or stock
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Directions

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Mix the chicken with turmeric and salt. Rest for 15 minutes while preparing the sauce.

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Heat coconut oil. Fry first in coconut oil until pale golden; remove and reserve. Build the onion masala in the same oil, then fold the coconut slivers back in during the final roast stage.
Cook onions and one sprig curry leaves slowly until deep golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes.
Add tomato and powdered spices. Cook until the masala is thick and the oil begins to show at the edges.

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Add the chicken and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through, adding water or stock only when needed.
Cook over a medium-high heat until the masala clings to the main ingredient.
Finish with remaining curry leaves, coconut oil and coriander. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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A More Practical Route to Chicken Pepper Roast

Chicken Pepper Roast needs a patient onion reduction, layered black pepper and a dry finish that clings to the chicken without becoming harsh or greasy. Building that roast masala from scratch can be labour-intensive. For a more practical route to this bold pepper-and-onion flavour direction, explore the CoChilli Pro product used for this dish below.