Kerala, a state on India’s tropical Malabar Coast, boasts nearly 600 km of Arabian Sea shoreline. It’s famous for its palm-lined beaches and backwaters, a network of canals. Kerala cuisine offers an abundance of both delicious vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, prepared using fish, poultry, and red meat, typically accompanied by rice.
This pepper chicken, or kurumulaku chicken, is an easy and quick Kerala-style dry roast chicken dish. It is traditionally served spicy, but you can definitely adjust the spice level to suit your taste. You can use both bone-in or boneless chicken for this dish, but my personal preference is bone-in thighs.
What is a Kadai?
A kadai (also spelled kadhai or karahi) is a traditional Indian cooking pot, similar to a wok but with steeper sides and a flat bottom. It is typically made from cast iron, stainless steel, or aluminum. The design of the kadai allows for even heat distribution and retention, making it ideal for deep-frying, sautéing, and dry roasting. The steep sides help in containing splatters, and the flat bottom ensures that food cooks evenly. 
I started using my old iron kadai because, although they are heavy, I found that food cooks faster and onions brown more quickly in an iron kadai. Roasting meat, especially this chicken, was so fast that I think I’ll use my old battered iron kadai more often. If your mom or grandma has one, dust it off and give it a try!
How to Make Kurumulaku – Kerala Style Pepper Chicken
Marinating the Chicken
- Prepare the Marinade:
- In a bowl, combine lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Marinate the Chicken:
- Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
Preparing the Spice Mix
- Grind the Spices:
- Coarsely grind the whole black peppercorns and fennel seeds using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Set aside.
Cooking the Base
- Heat the Pan:
- Heat 3 tablespoons of coconut oil in an iron kadai (or cast iron skillet) over medium heat.
- Sauté Onions and Chilies:
- Add the sliced onions and slit green chilies to the pan. Sauté until the onions turn light brown, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Ginger and Garlic:
- Add the finely chopped ginger and garlic. Sauté for another minute until fragrant.
- Add Dry Spices:
- Add Kashmiri chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Mix well and sauté for another minute.
- Season to Taste:
- Taste and adjust salt if needed.
Cooking the Chicken
- Add Chicken and Vinegar:
- Add the marinated chicken to the pan and mix well. Pour in the coconut vinegar.
- Cook the Chicken:
- Cover and cook the chicken until it is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. If there is excess water, increase the heat to high to evaporate it.
- Add Ground Spices:
- Once the chicken is cooked and the water has evaporated, add the coarsely ground pepper and fennel mixture. Mix well.
- Dry Roast:
- Continue to cook on low flame for another 5 minutes or until the chicken turns a blackish-brown color. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
Finishing Touches
- Add Curry Leaves:
- Sprinkle the curry leaves over the chicken and give it a final stir.
- Serve:
- Serve the Kerala Style Pepper Chicken hot with rice.
Recipe Notes
- Adjusting Pepper Heat: If you prefer less heat, reduce the amount of whole black peppercorns by half.
- Vinegar Substitute: If coconut vinegar is unavailable, you can use one tomato as a substitute.
- Pan Choice: An iron kadai or cast iron skillet is ideal for this recipe. However, a non-stick or aluminum pan can also be used.
- Curry Leaves: Adding curry leaves at the end enhances the flavor.
Kurumulaku – Kerala Style Pepper Chicken
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Omnivore, Gluten-Free
Description
A quick, flavorful dry roast chicken dish from Kerala. Adjust the spices to your liking!
Ingredients
- 1 lbs (750 g) Chicken Thighs
- 2 whole Onion
- 2 whole Green chilies
- 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) Ginger
- 1 whole Garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) Garam masala
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Coconut vinegar
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) Turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) Pepper powder
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) Whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) Fennel seeds
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) Coconut oil
- 2 sprigs Curry leaves
- 3/4 teaspoon (4 g) Salt
- Juice of 1/2 lemon Lemon juice
Instructions
- Marinating the Chicken
- Prepare the Marinade: In a bowl, combine lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Marinate the Chicken: Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Preparing the Spice Mix
- Grind the Spices: Coarsely grind the whole black peppercorns and fennel seeds using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Set aside.
- Cooking the Base
- Heat the Pan: Heat 3 tablespoons of coconut oil in an iron kadai (or cast iron skillet) over medium heat.
- Sauté Onions and Chilies: Add the sliced onions and slit green chilies to the pan. Sauté until the onions turn light brown, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Ginger and Garlic: Add the finely chopped ginger and garlic. Sauté for another minute until fragrant.
- Add Dry Spices: Add Kashmiri chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Mix well and sauté for another minute.
- Season to Taste: Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Cooking the Chicken
- Add Chicken and Vinegar: Add the marinated chicken to the pan and mix well. Pour in the coconut vinegar.
- Cook the Chicken: Cover and cook the chicken until it is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. If there is excess water, increase the heat to high to evaporate it.
- Add Ground Spices: Once the chicken is cooked and the water has evaporated, add the coarsely ground pepper and fennel mixture. Mix well.
- Dry Roast: Continue to cook on low flame for another 5 minutes or until the chicken turns a blackish-brown color. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
- Finishing Touches
- Add Curry Leaves: Sprinkle the curry leaves over the chicken and give it a final stir.
- Serve: Serve the Kerala Style Pepper Chicken hot with rice.
Notes
- For a richer flavor, marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
- If you don’t have coconut vinegar, you can substitute with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Store leftover Kerala Pepper Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stir-Frying
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 500
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 40
- Cholesterol: 150
If you liked this, you are going to LOVE these favorite Indian recipes:
Punjabi Paneer Masala – A Classic Vegetarian Indian Dish
How to Make Indian Curry Paste
Kerala Stir Fry: Plantain and Coconut Thoran
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Kerala pepper chicken different from other Indian pepper chicken dishes?
Kurumulaku is built on a foundation of freshly cracked black pepper and curry leaves fried in coconut oil, giving it a distinctly South Indian character that differs from North Indian versions.
Do I need to marinate the chicken before cooking?
Marinating for at least 30 minutes in the spice mixture helps the pepper and aromatics penetrate the meat. An hour or more in the refrigerator gives even deeper flavor.
Can I use chicken breast instead of bone-in pieces?
Bone-in thighs or drumsticks are traditional and stay juicier during the longer cooking time. Breast meat can be used but should be added later to avoid drying out.
I used normal vinegar and coconut milk instead of coconut vinegar, which i don’t have.
Scaled up the garam masala, corriander and chilli pwd.
Very tasty.
Hi,
Thank u for the recipe! Tried it, turned out great!!
Superb. Came out very well
Very good recipe
Excellent just excellent
Great recipe.
Super tasty..me and my family enjoyed it..thanks for the recipe.And briefly explained everything made it easy.
I have tried this recipe many times…
My family loves this easy to cook recipe.. Thanks for the wonderful recipe
I made this dish twice so far and everyone loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
Looks yummy…excellent recipe …
Nice recipe
Lovely dish
The recipe was detailed and delicious!
Tried and it was very good.
Truly honest
Superb…