Chicken Choila with Mustard Oil and Charred Timur Spice

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-10-15 · Updated 2026-10-15

A smoky Newari dish of flame-grilled chicken thigh pieces tossed with sizzling mustard oil, fenugreek, garlic, green chilies and tingly timur pepper. Serve it cool or at room temperature with beaten rice. This Asian recipe (high-protein, gluten-free), ready in about 35 minutes, pairs boneless chicken thighs, mustard oil, fenugreek seeds for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with rice, quinoa, or a quick salad. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb boneless chicken thighs
• 4 tbsp mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 3 green chilies, slit
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp timur (Sichuan pepper), toasted and ground
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 cups beaten rice (chiura), for serving

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Rub the chicken thighs with 1/2 tsp salt and the turmeric. Grill them over a charcoal or gas flame, or under a hot broiler, for 6-7 minutes per side until cooked through and charred in spots. Let cool slightly, then cut into bite-size pieces.
2. Step 2: Put the chicken in a large bowl. Add the garlic, ginger, red onion, scallions, chili powder, cumin, timur, the remaining salt and the lime juice. Toss well.
3. Step 3: In a small pan, heat the mustard oil until it smokes, then remove from the heat for 10 seconds. Add the fenugreek seeds and green chilies and fry until the seeds turn dark brown and fragrant, about 20 seconds.
4. Step 4: Pour the sizzling oil over the chicken mixture right away and toss to coat.
5. Step 5: Rest for 10 minutes so the flavors soak in. Fold in the cilantro and adjust the salt and lime. Serve at room temperature with beaten rice.