Being minimalist with chicken

Pushpesh Pant

Choti si baat na mirch masala — this line from an old Hindi film song reminds one of the magic that simplicity can work. Here, we talk of one such recipe that dispenses with elaborate spicing. Seasoned with just salt and peppercorns, succulent chicken comes to its own. No, it is not even a distant relative of the ubiquitous Murgh Kali Mirch. Resist the temptation to cook something which can please those lovers of gravy and those addicted to finger foods. This is essentially a dry dish. However, there is no reason why you can’t enjoy it with rice or roti. It can brilliantly complement and supplement almost anything. Enough talk. Get cracking. DIY.  

Salt ’n’ pepper chicken

Ingredients

Chicken 600g
Garlic paste 1/2 tsp
Ginger paste 1/2 tsp
Yoghurt 1/4 cup
Peppercorn 2 tsp (freshly ground)
Salt 
Butter 2 tbsp

Method

Wash, clean and trim the chicken. Pierce it with a fork all over. Prepare a marinade of garlic and ginger pastes with yoghurt along with salt and pepper. Apply it evenly to the chicken pieces. Keep in a cold place for about 3 hours. Heat butter in a pan and add the marinated chicken along with the marinade. Stir and cover. Cook on medium flame for about 20 minutes. Stir in between to ensure that it doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn. If required, sprinkle a few drops of water. Adjust the seasoning before you serve.