What Is The Story Behind Chicken Taka-Tak And How To Make It

Chicken Takatak (Tak-a-Tak or Taka-Tak) is a popular street food dish in Lahore, Pakistan. In this flavourful dish, chicken is prepared in a thick gravy with the addition of Lahori spice mix and served with lachcha paratha, naan, tandoori roti or roomali roti. The chicken has a thick, keema-like consistency which is achieved not from grinding the meat but from breaking it down into pieces while cooking. This dish is generally cooked on roadside dhabas on big tawas. The savoury chicken dish is an indulgent treat, with lots of spices and oil. But do you know what exactly ‘taka-tak’ is in this dish? Let’s find out! 

Where Does ‘Taka-Tak’ Come From?

The nomenclature “Takatak” comes from the style of cooking chicken for this dish. This dish is cooked with the use of a cooking spoon called tabeta or ulatni – a flat metallic spatula with a slight edge. This spoon is used continuously during the cooking of this dish to crumble the chicken. The sound while using this spoon is something like “tak tak tak taka tak”. This sound is what gives this dish the name – Chicken Takatak.

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Unlike other dishes where the chicken might taste plain from the inside, in this dish the chicken is completely covered in the masala, thanks to the cooking technique. Cooking chicken on the tawa gives it a unique taste where the chicken is roasted with the masala all over. Want to learn how to make this fantastic dish at home? Here is the recipe.

How To Make Chicken Takatak | Spicy Lahore-Style Chicken Takatak Recipe

Begin by heating oil in a kadhai. Now, add chopped onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilli. Saute till onion is soft and a little pink. Add all the dry spices including turmeric powder, red chilly powder, crushed coriander seeds, crushed black pepper, garam masala powder and salt to taste. Saute and then add the chopped tomato. Once the oil separates, add chicken cubes and mix with the edgy flat spatula to break the chicken. Do not forget to make the special “taka tak” sound! Add coriander and green chillies. Cover and cook till the chicken is ready. Garnish with mint leaves and ginger julienne. Serve with lachcha paratha or tandoori roti. Click here for a detailed recipe with all the ingredients.

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Did you find this recipe interesting? Try it at home and share your experience in the comments section.