Assamese black sesame chicken is a recipe from Assam and something similar is made in Meghalaya as well. The chicken pieces are coated in a black sesame seed paste which lends the whole dish a beautiful nutty smokiness. While exploring chicken curry recipes from India, this was one recipe that I couldn’t stop eating!
Homestyle chicken curries from East India feature such unique ingredients. And this Assamese black sesame chicken curry, also known as til diya murghi mangxo, is the perfect example of that. As the name suggests, the star ingredient of this dish is til or black sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are toasted to perfection, blended to a powder, and then used to coat the chicken pieces. The result is a dish that’s spicy, nutty, smokey and so flavorful! Let’s make Sunday chicken curry more interesting!
Ingredients You Need
Here's everything you need for this recipe:
Frequently Asked Questions
I wouldn’t recommend it. Black sesame adds a distinct smokiness and that unique charcoal black colour to the dish
No, that will only result in dry, stringy pieces of chicken. For the flavours of the curry to develop, it's important to use bone in chicken pieces or boneless chicken thighs which can withstand the slightly longer cooking time and still remain juicy.
You can store leftover chicken curry in the refrigerator in a clean and dry airtight container for up to 3 days.
Top Tips To Make This Recipe
- Do not roast the black sesame seeds for more than the recommended time to prevent them from turning bitter.
- Allow the sesame seeds to cool down completely before grinding them to a powder to prevent accidents.
- I have used bone-in thigh chicken pieces for this til chicken curry. You can use boneless thigh pieces if you like. However I wouldn’t recommend breast pieces as they tend to dry out during the cooking process.
- Add warm water (and not room temperature) to the pan, when making the gravy. Cold or room temperature water will bring the temperature of the curry down, altering its taste and also making it take longer to cook
- You can also replace the chicken with pork, but the cooking time will vary. Use ½ kg pork with a little fat and pressure cook for about 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
This til chicken curry might not be the most well known chicken curry from India, but it’s one that you definitely don’t want to miss out on. This curry is traditionally served with rice and is best eaten with your hands. But no matter how you decide to eat it, this Assam chicken curry will surely have you coming back for more!
LOVE THIS RECIPE? Subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to receive all new recipes!
Assamese Black Sesame Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken preferably chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 50 grams black sesame seeds kala til, ⅓ Cup
- 2 tablespoons mustard oil + 1 teaspoon extra for the end which is optional
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 whole dried red chillies
- 1 large onion thinly sliced, approx ⅔ cup or 100 grams
- 4 green chillies slit lengthwise
- 2 ½ inches ginger finely chopped
- 13-15 whole garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon jeera powder cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon homemade garam masala use ½ teaspoon if using store bought
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
Instructions
- Marinade cleaned 500 grams chicken with ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder & ½ teaspoon teaspoon salt for 10 minutes while you prep everything else.500 grams chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Toast black sesame seeds for 3 minutes on a low flame till fragrant. Cool and then grind to a fine powder and set aside.50 grams black sesame seeds
- Saute Aromatics - Heat mustard oil on high heat in a deep pan until it smokes. Turn off the flame for 2 minutes to cool it down slightly or the whole spices will burn. Turn the flame back on and add bay leaves & red chillies & fry for a minute. Then add sliced onions & fry for 6-7 minutes until the onions turn golden brown. Add ginger, garlic & green chillies & fry for another 2 minutes.2 tablespoons mustard oil, 3 bay leaves, 4 whole dried red chillies, 1 large onion, 4 green chillies, 13-15 whole garlic cloves, 2 ½ inches ginger
- Cook chicken - Add marinated chicken to this and fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes until the chicken turns pink. Add all the dry spice powders & ½ teaspoon salt and fry for another minute. Add the toasted and ground black sesame powder & toss until chicken is well coated with all the spices - about a minute.1 teaspoon red Chilli powder, ½ teaspoon jeera powder, ¼ teaspoon homemade garam masala, 1 teaspoon salt
- Gravy - Add warm water to the pan, cover with a lid and cook until the chicken is tender for about 20-25 minutes. Pour lime juice and mustard oil (if using) on top, give it a quick mix and serve!½ cup water, 1 teaspoon lime juice
Notes
- Black sesame seeds need a maximum of 3 minutes for toasting on low flame. Do not toast it too much or they might turn bitter.
- Left-overs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- This recipe works really well with pork too. Use ½ kg pork, with some fat. The cooking time will change for pork - pressure cook for 15-20 minutes.
- I strongly recommend using mustard oil for this recipe as it adds smokiness and a distinct flavour to the dish. Alternatively, you may use any neutral flavoured oil.
Ann says
I just have a question as I am going to make this in a couple of days. I love all your many recipes that I have tried to date. I am in the US and there are so many options for dried red and fresh green chili's. What variety do you use for your recipes? Thank you.