Kā̀zān rīdī: A Nigerian sesame chicken made with a craveable homemade spice mix

This vibrant, flavour-packed recipe for kā̀zān rīdī comes to us from food writer and educator Ozoz Sokoh’s new cookbook, Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria. It’s a black sesame–coated chicken that she likes to pair with masa, a type of fermented rice cake, or garau garau, a rice and beans–based dish that’s also featured in the book. “The slight sweetness of the rice works well [with] the nutty, spiced flavours,” she said. 

For a milder version, Sokoh suggests scaling back the amount of Scotch bonnet pepper or swapping in another variety. “When I want flavour without heat, I turn to Caribbean seasoning peppers, also known as Trinidad seasoning peppers,” she said. 

Short on time? Get a head start on the prep by assembling the toasted seed mix and spices in advance. The seed mix can be refrigerated for up to four weeks or frozen for up to three months, Sokoh said. 

You can also use store-bought versions of the spice blends. Sokoh suggests opting for a Nigerian, Jamaican or Japanese curry powder, and looking for pre-made yaji online or at your local African grocer. 

Read on for the full recipe — plus her ingenious trick for toasting black sesame seeds to perfection.

The following has been reprinted, with permission, from Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria.

Kā̀zān Rīdī (Sesame Chicken)

By Ozoz Sokoh

I fell in love with kā̀zān rīdī, black sesame chicken, a Plateau state specialty, in 2018. My friend Madey made it for Christmas lunch, with stewing chickens. For a quicker cook, use softer chickens (broiler/fryer/roasters), or other proteins such as beef or lamb, which can be boiled, grilled, roasted, or fried.

Notes:

For best results, add some white or brown sesame seeds to the black ones before toasting—use them to monitor the toasted seeds’ color.

Substitute 3 tablespoons grassy extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil for the atili oil.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (140 g) raw black sesame seeds, rinsed and drained (see Note)
• ½ teaspoon black stone flower (optional)
• 2 tablespoons Basic yaji (see below), plus more as needed
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dry pepper (see below)
• 1 medium red onion, sliced, plus 1 small red onion, sliced into thin strips or rings
• 1 or 2 red Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, stemmed
• ½ small green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 or 2 thumb-size pieces fresh ginger, peeled
• 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs (8 to 10 ounces each), thighs and drumsticks separated, or 4 drumsticks and 4 thighs
• 1 tablespoon Curry Powder (see below)
• ¼ cup (60 ml) atili oil (see Note)
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced

Preparation

In a large skillet, dry the sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring, until the moisture evaporates, about 12 minutes. Toast until the seeds smell nutty and begin to pop, 4 to 5 minutes more. If using the black stone flower, add and toss with the sesame seeds for 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Working in batches, add the toasted seed mix, the yaji, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the dry pepper to a spice grinder or food processor. Grind until broken down and dark—don’t overprocess the mixture; you want “flour,” not butter. Set aside.

In a food processor or blender, combine the sliced medium onion, Scotch bonnet, green bell pepper, ginger, and garlic. Process or pulse to form a coarse mixture.

In a stockpot, combine the onion mixture, chicken, curry powder, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the chicken is no longer raw and yields its juices and the mixture begins to boil, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups (480 ml) water, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a plate to cool a bit, about 15 minutes. You can leave the chicken skins on or remove them.

Put the atili oil in a large bowl and carefully add the chicken. Toss to coat each piece in the oil. Sprinkle half the black sesame mixture over the chicken and toss well to coat, adding more as needed.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Top with the small sliced onion and the red bell pepper. Serve with any remaining black sesame mixture.

Makes 8 pieces; serves 4 to 8

Basic yaji 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon barkono (see below)
• 1 tablespoon alligator pepper seeds
• 4 whole uda pods
• 3 ehuru seeds, shelled
• 3 whole cloves
• ½ teaspoon whole uziza peppercorns
• 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dry pepper (see below)
• 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation

In a spice mill, combine the barkono, alligator pepper, uda, ehuru, cloves, and uziza peppercorns. Grind the spices as fine as possible (you may need to do this in batches).

Empty the ground spice mixture into a bowl and add the paprika, ginger, onion powder, dry pepper, salt, garlic powder, and sugar. Stir to combine, then transfer to a jar with a lid. Seal the jar and set aside to rest for 2 to 3 days, then regrind and pass through a sieve, discarding any larger bits.

Return the spice blend to the jar and store at cool room temperature, away from light and heat, for up to 6 months, or store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 12 months.

Makes scant 1 cup (100 g)

Curry Powder

Although it takes more time, you can toast the whole spices individually or in groups by seed size for more control. You can also toast them all together, if you must—just add the large spices first, then the smaller ones later. They are ready when aromatic and golden or brown in spots.

Ingredients

• ½ cup (40 g) whole coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon whole fenugreek seeds
• 1 tablespoon allspice berries
• ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon whole white peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon green cardamom seeds
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 tablespoons ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon dry pepper (see below)

Preparation

In a small stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet, combine the coriander, fenugreek, allspice, and black and white peppercorns. Toast over low to medium heat, stirring and swirling the pan often, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the spices to a bowl.

In the same pan, combine the cumin, cardamom, fennel, and cloves and toast over low to medium heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spices to the bowl with the coriander mixture and stir to combine. Let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the toasted spices to a spice grinder and grind into the smoothest powder you can. (You may need to do this in batches.) Empty the ground spice mixture into a bowl and add the turmeric, ginger, mustard powder, nutmeg, and dry pepper. Stir to combine, then transfer to a jar with a lid. Seal the jar and set aside to rest for 2 to 3 days, then regrind and pass through a sieve. You can regrind the larger bits if you like, or discard them.

Return the spice blend to the jar and store at cool room temperature, away from light and heat, for up to 6 months, or store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 12 months.

Makes 1 ¼ cups (110 g)

Dried peppers

Barkono. Dried African bird’s-eye or peri-peri/piri-piri chiles (also known as spur peppers). This is hotter than dry pepper (see below), so should be used with care. Substitute dried Tabasco peppers.

Dry pepper. Single or multiple varieties of dried hot red peppers, including cayenne, bird’s-eye, and others, ground into fine and coarse blends. Although its flavor is closer to cayenne, dry pepper is used like black pepper in Nigerian kitchens. Even when fresh chiles are used in a dish, you’ll find us sprinkling a pinch of dry pepper over it.

Excerpted from Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria by Ozoz Sokoh. Copyright © 2025 Ozoz Sokoh. Photographs by James Ransom. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.