Servings:

Long Pepper Chicken

This recipe for Long Pepper Chicken comes from the Arthashastra and is one of the oldest known Indian recipes dating to around 200-300 BCE. It’s a lovely spiced chicken dish that has some major similarities as well as differences from modern Indian chicken dishes.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 4
Long Pepper Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/4 cup ghee
  • 3/4 cup yogurt
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 12 long peppers, split. Roughly grind 5 peppers in a mortar and pestle, and leave 7 whole. (crushed with mortar and pestle)
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp ginger paste (grated with microplane)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Whisk the yogurt in a bowl to smooth it out. Add crushed long pepper, ginger, and salt. Stir to combine. Add chicken and stir to coat. Cover and let marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight.
  2. Heat oil in a large pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop for a few seconds. Add whole peppers and let them cook for about 20 seconds.
  3. Add marinated chicken and let it brown, then turn the pieces and allow the other side to brown. It will take about 6 minutes on each side.
  4. Add 1/4 cup of water to the marinade. Stir and pour over the chicken. Deglaze the pan by scraping it with a spatula.
  5. Cook the chicken in the sauce until it has reduced to half, about 6-8 minutes. Add water to adjust consistency. Finish with a squeeze of lemon.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 333
  • Carbohydrates: 3
  • Protein: 35
  • Fat: 20
  • Saturated Fat: 10
  • Polyunsaturated Fat: 2
  • Monounsaturated Fat: 6
  • Trans Fat: 0.03
  • Cholesterol: 196
  • Sodium: 755
  • Potassium: 502
  • Fiber: 0.1
  • Sugar: 2
  • Vitamin A: 115
  • Vitamin C: 5
  • Calcium: 73
  • Iron: 1