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Til diya kukura (chicken with black sesame)

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Chicken cooked in a thick, dark gravy of roasted and ground black sesame.

Region: AssamOccasion: Family meals and winterTime: 1 hourServes: 4Non-vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 750 g chicken, cut into pieces
  • ½ cup black sesame seeds
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 2–3 green chillies
  • 2 tbsp mustard oil
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. Dry-roast the sesame until it crackles, then grind it to a paste with a little water.
  2. Heat the mustard oil and fry the onions until soft.
  3. Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric and chillies and fry for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the chicken and salt and cook until it changes colour.
  5. Stir in the sesame paste and a cup of water. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and the gravy is thick and dark.

History

Black sesame is grown in Assam and used in sweets, chutneys and meat dishes.

Significance

The sesame gives the dish a nutty, earthy taste and makes it a warming dish for the cold months.

Sources