What is the story behind chicken ‘taka-taka’ and how is it made?

Chicken Takatak (Tak-a-Tak or Taka-Tak) is a popular street food dish in Lahore, Pakistan. In this delicious dish, chicken is prepared in thick gravy with a mixture of Lahori spices and served with Lachcha Paratha, Naan, Tandoori Roti or Roomali Roti. Chicken has a thick, mince-like consistency that is achieved not by grinding the meat but by breaking it into pieces while cooking. This dish is usually cooked on a big pan at roadside dhabas. This delicious chicken dish is a wonderful dish with lots of spices and oil. But do you know what ‘taka-taka’ is in this dish? Let’s find out!

Where does ‘taka-taka’ come from?

The naming “takataka” comes from the style of cooking chicken for this dish. This dish is cooked using a cooking spoon called a tabata or ultani – a flat metal spatula with a slight edge. This spoon is constantly used to break the chicken into pieces while cooking this dish. The sound when using this spoon is something like “tak tak tak tak tak”. This sound is what gives the name to this dish – Chicken Takatak.

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Unlike other dishes, where the chicken may taste plain on the inside, in this dish the chicken is completely covered in spices due to the cooking technique. Cooking chicken on a pan gives it a unique taste, where the chicken is roasted from all sides with spices. Do you want to learn how to make this scrumptious dish at home? Here is the recipe.

How to make Chicken Takatak | Spicy Lahore-Style Chicken Takatak Recipe

First of all, heat oil in a pan. Now add chopped onion, garlic, ginger and green chilli. Fry the onion until it becomes soft and light pink. Add all the dry spices including turmeric powder, red chilli powder, crushed coriander, ground black pepper, garam masala powder and salt as per taste. Fry and then add chopped tomatoes. Once the oil separates, add the chicken pieces and mix with a pointed flat spatula to break up the chicken. Don’t forget to make the special “taka tak” sound! Add green coriander and green chilli. Cover and cook until the chicken is ready. Garnish with mint leaves and ginger julienne. Serve with Lachcha Paratha or Tandoori Roti. Click here for detailed recipe including all ingredients.

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