Kerala Pepper Chicken Tacos
Mukul created this dish for MasterChef UK ™ Series 22. Framed as “from Punjab to Kerala via Mexico,” it pairs juicy black-pepper-and-curry-leaf chicken with a soft maize-flour flatbread folded taco-style, a sharp pickled red cabbage slaw, and cooling spiced yogurt. The judges called the pepper chicken genuinely exceptional and the flatbread perfect and ungreasy, praising a vibrant street-food plate that sent Mukul through to the quarterfinal.
- Time: 105 min
Source: Relaxed Recipes
Ingredients
- FOR THE KERALA PEPPER CHICKEN
- boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-size pieces
- ground turmeric
- Kashmiri chili powder
- ginger-garlic paste, freshly pounded
- lime, juiced
- Salt, to taste
- coconut oil
- sprigs fresh curry leaves, used in two stages
- green chilies, slit lengthways
- large onion, thinly sliced
- ground coriander
- black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
- fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- garam masala, to finish
- Small handful fresh coriander, chopped, to finish
- FOR THE PUNJABI MAIZE-FLOUR FLATBREAD
- fine maize flour
- wholemeal flour
- salt
- ajwain , optional
- ~180 ml hot water, added gradually to bind
- ghee, for cooking and brushing
- FOR THE PICKLED CABBAGE & ONION SLAW
- red cabbage, very finely shredded
- small red onion, thinly sliced
- rice or white wine vinegar
- caster sugar, to balance the vinegar
- Small handful fresh coriander or mint, roughly chopped
- FOR THE SPICED YOGURT
- thick Greek-style yogurt
- ground roasted cumin
- small green chili, finely minced
- lime, juiced, to taste
- of chaat masala, optional
- EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- Tortilla press
- Tawa, flat griddle, or heavy non-stick frying pan for the breads
- Heavy frying pan or kadai for the pepper chicken
- Mortar and pestle for cracking the peppercorns