When you have to cook chicken at least 5 days a week, like me, you keep thinking of variations in flavour that you can possibly create.

On one of our culinary adventures, we visited this BBQ place in Lahore and we had these Tangdi Chicken kebab there which my daughters liked a lot. So I recreated this recipe for them at home. Tangdi means chicken leg and kebab culture was brought into subcontinent with Persians but was adapted to local palate and cuisine totally.

Usually kebab is roasted, fried or grilled meat without bones but in these tangdi chicken kebab the bone is a requirement. It actually adds to the flavour depth. Roasted gram flour and spices give it a slightly, earthy, smokey flavour even if you don’t grill it.

Gram flour and yogurt keep the chicken legs moist as well, no matter whichever way you decide to cook them – fry, grill or bake!

Ingredients

12 chicken legs, skinless
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
1/2 cup yogurt
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons gram flour/besan/chickpea flour
2 teaspoons Salt or to taste

This Is What You Do:

Heat a skillet on high, toast gram flour, cumin seeds and chilli flakes till the flour changes colour slightly and the aroma from toasted chillies and cumin seeds wafts through your kitchen.

Add this toasted mix to yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, black pepper and salt in a big mixing bowl.

Make horizontal incisions on chicken thighs. Rub the marinade over chicken, cover and leave for at least 2 hours.

To cook, you can simply grill the chicken on medium hot grill for 30-35 minutes, turning it every 6-7 minutes.

Or oven roast it covered for 30 minutes, then another 10 minutes uncovered or till the juices run clear.

Or you can pan fry it as I did…for pan frying heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Place chicken legs in the pan and sear them on all sides. Reduce heat to low, add 1/4 cup water, cover and let simmer for almost 20 minutes.

Wrap the bone ends into foil wrapper for easier handling.

Squeeze some lemon juice before you serve these hot, with mint raita.

Serves 4-6

3 Replies to “Tangdi Chicken Kebab, Grilled Chicken Drumsticks”

  1. Drooling over the photos Maria!:) We love how you take something so simple and transform it into a something soooo delicious! We are definitely having this next week, as soon as Easter arrives (this Sunday):)
    Thank you for another delicious recipe!
    Love,
    Mirella and Panos

    1. I’m loving your experiments with spices and South Asian/middle eastern style food. Hope you will enjoy, guys!
      Oh and Happy Easter in advance! 😊😘

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