Instant Pot Kali Mirch Chicken Curry

61 Comments

Kali mirch chicken curry is a pour and cook recipe made by simmering chicken thighs in a spiced yogurt sauce.

instant pot Kali Mirch Chicken (Indian black pepper chicken curry)

The Easiest Black Pepper Chicken

We’re tossing chicken thighs and a spiced yogurt sauce in an instant pot, pressing the start button, and calling it a day. These crazy times call for low-maintenance, fuss-free recipes. Thankfully this murgh kali mirch (black pepper chicken curry) is as simple as it gets.

This quarantine is physically and mentally exhausting. Figuring out what to cook is in itself stressful, especially when you have a million other things on your mind.

I think a lot of us want good food and we don’t want to spend a lot of time making it. In fact, it’d be nice if a meal just cooked itself. Is that too much to ask?

I’m here for you with a dish that requires very little effort. You just need to blend a few things together to make a sauce and then sit back and wait while the instant pot cooks dinner for you.

“Ashley, yet another amazing recipe from you! This was so easy and quick and delicious! Every single recipe of yours that I have tried has turned out so well. Thank you for all the effort you put into creating and testing these recipes and for so kindly sharing them with us. Absolutely love your work!”

Raghavi
instant pot Kali Mirch Chicken (Indian black pepper chicken curry)

Kali mirch means black pepper and since that’s a featured ingredient in this dish, you’ll want to use freshly ground black pepper for the best flavor. While in normal (pre-covid19) circumstances, I’d tell you to wait to make this until you can get your hands on black peppercorns – given what’s going on, I actually think this will still be pretty good even with regular black pepper.

The other ingredients you’ll need are chicken thighs, yogurt and a few spices.

If you want to put in a bit more effort, you can stir some cashew flour into the curry after it’s done cooking. This makes the dish a little nuttier, creamier and thicker. My husband prefers this dish with cashew flour but I think it’s great either way, so if you’re nut-free, no worries.

You might wonder whether you can add cashews directly to the blender while making the sauce (the way I’ve done in previous recipes – my Green Chicken Masala, for example) but the answer is no – I’ve tried a few times and have gotten the dreaded burn sign. Rather than adding more water to the recipe/blender, I think this dish turns out best if you stir ground nuts in at the end.

You can serve this chicken curry over plain Basmati Rice or Jeera Rice or Pea Pulao.

instant pot Kali Mirch Chicken (Indian black pepper chicken curry)

I’ll be sharing more simple pour and cook recipes over the next few weeks. In the meantime, if you’re looking for a few more ideas, try:

instant pot Kali Mirch Chicken (Indian black pepper chicken curry)

Instant Pot Kali Mirch Chicken Curry

instant pot Kali Mirch Chicken (Indian black pepper chicken curry)

Instant Pot Kali Mirch Chicken Curry

4.84 from 18 reviews
Pin Recipe Print Recipe
Servings 4
Cuisine Indian

Ingredients
 

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs

Black Pepper Sauce:

  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 1 onion roughly chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 1 green chili
  • 1 tablespoon kasoori methi
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala

 

  • 2 tablespoons cashew flour optional

Instructions
 

  • Blend the ingredients listed under “black pepper sauce” and pour this over the chicken thighs. Mix well.
  • Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure. 
  • Naturally release pressure or wait 10 minutes then release pressure.
  • You can either shred the chicken right in the pot or use kitchen shears/scissors to cut the chicken into cubes.
  • Optional step: Press the sauté button, add cashew flour to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Garnish with additional black pepper and serve.

Notes

  • *Adding cashew flour will make the sauce a bit nuttier, creamier and thicker.
Did you make this recipe?Tag @myheartbeets on Instagram and hashtag it #myheartbeets!

Pin This Recipe

Like this recipe? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board now so you will remember to make it later!

Pin Recipe Now0
instant pot Kali Mirch Chicken (Indian black pepper chicken curry)

Related Recipes

Cookbooks

Find out more about my cookbooks Indian Food Under Pressure and South Asian Persuasion.

About Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley. Thanks for being here! I truly believe that food brings us closer together. Gather around a table with good food and good people, and you’ll have the ingredients you need to create some happy memories. My hope is that you find recipes here that you can’t wait to share with family and friends.

Subscribe

Subscribe to get our latest content by email. We won't send you spam. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rating

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Amara says

    4 stars
    Tasted great, mild but bright. Unfortunately my sauce (normal fat) split in the instant pot. I used almond flour and cornstarch to thicken the sauce as I didn’t have cashew flour.

  2. Kate says

    5 stars
    This sauce is so good (definitely add the cashew powder). I added in a pound of potatoes to stretch this meal, and I wish I had made 1.5 times the marinade so there would have been more to soak up with the naan!

  3. Kanika says

    5 stars
    Thank you Ashley for posting such a flavourful and easy recipe.

    My 2.5 year old is not a chicken fan but he relished this dish and kept asking for more☺️
    So it says it all!!!

    I love to try your recipes. Once again Thank you for all your efforts that you put in to make our lives easy🙏

  4. Sweta says

    Thank you for the wonderful and easy recipe. I didn’t have much time and also didn’t have raw chicken, so cooked this recipe with grilled chicken. I I have put 1 and 1/2 cup of water (next time I will be more careful) to make the black pepper sauce but it made my sauce so watery. I made it thick by putting cashew nut paste and sauté it for 5 minutes.

Show More Comments

instant pot pour and cook chicken biryani

Ashley's Secrets

INDIAN FOOD

in INSTANT POT

Favorite tips & tricks to

easy Indian Instant Pot cooking

FREE EMAIL BONUS

paneer lababdar

Ashley's Secrets

INDIAN FOOD

MADE EASY

Favorite tips & tricks to

easy & delicious Indian cooking

FREE EMAIL BONUS