Chicken 65

The method

Step by step

Written for first-time cooks — every quantity, timing and cue is spelled out.

1. 01

   Prepare Chicken and Marinade Ingredients

   First, rinse the 450g boneless chicken pieces under cold water and pat them completely dry with a paper towel. On your chopping board, grate 1.5 tsp of fresh ginger and mince 1.5 tsp of fresh garlic. Slit 1 medium green chilli lengthwise. Keep your mixing bowl, kadhai/wok, and slotted spoon ready.

2. 02

   Marinate the Chicken

   In the mixing bowl, combine the dried chicken pieces with 60ml (1/4 cup) curd, 1.5 tsp grated ginger, 1.5 tsp minced garlic, 1.5 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, and 1 tsp salt. Mix everything thoroughly with your hands until every piece of chicken is coated evenly. This is your marinade.

3. 03

   Add Flours and Rest

   Now, add 2 tbsp cornflour and 1 tbsp rice flour to the marinated chicken in the mixing bowl. Mix again until the flours are well combined and form a thin coating on the chicken pieces. Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to soak in.

4. 04

   Heat Oil for Frying

   Place your kadhai/wok on medium-high flame. Pour 500ml (2 cups) of oil into it. Let the oil heat up for about 5-7 minutes. To check if it's hot enough, drop a tiny piece of marinated chicken into the oil; it should sizzle immediately and float to the surface. If it just sinks, the oil isn't hot enough yet.

5. 05

   Deep Fry the Chicken (First Batch)

   Carefully add about 8-10 chicken pieces into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the kadhai/wok. Fry these pieces on medium-high flame for 4-5 minutes, turning them occasionally with your slotted spoon. They should turn golden brown and look crispy on the outside. Do not let them burn.

6. 06

   Deep Fry Remaining Chicken

   Once the first batch is golden and crispy, remove them from the oil using the slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat the frying process with the remaining chicken pieces in 2-3 more batches until all the chicken is cooked, golden, and crispy. This ensures even cooking.

7. 07

   Prepare Tempering

   Once all the chicken is fried, carefully pour out most of the oil from the kadhai/wok, leaving about 1 tbsp behind. Place the kadhai/wok back on a low-medium flame. Add the 1 medium slit green chilli and 15-20 fresh curry leaves to the hot oil. Be careful as they might splutter.

8. 08

   Sauté Tempering and Toss Chicken

   Sauté the green chilli and curry leaves for about 1 minute, until the curry leaves become slightly crisp and fragrant, and the chilli softens a little. You will smell a lovely aroma. Immediately add all the fried chicken pieces back into the kadhai/wok with the tempering. Toss everything together gently for about 30 seconds, ensuring the chicken is coated with the tempering.

9. 09

   Serve Hot

   Your Chicken 65 is ready! Transfer it to a serving dish. Serve hot as a starter or side dish. The chicken should be crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, with a fragrant curry leaf and chilli aroma.