Name: Chicken 65
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 500 gms – 1.1 lbs. chicken thigh fillets (cute in bite-size pieces); 1 tsp salt; 2 tsp red chilly powder; ½ tsp turmeric; ½ tbsp ginger paste; ½ tbsp garlic paste; 2 tbsp yogurt; ½ tsp pepper (ground); 1 egg; 5 tbsp corn flour; 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds; 4 small green chillies (halved); ½ bunch curry leaves; 2 ½ tsp red chilly sauce; 1 tsp red chilly powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 tbsp ginger (grated); 8 garlic cloves (chopped); ¼ cup water; 4 tbsp vegetable oil; ¼ tsp red food colouring (optional)

I love Indian food and I try to cook it as much as possible at home. I also love to eat out though and we recently tried out a new place, not too far from home. They had a dish on their menu that caught my attention: Chicken 65. The name was too intriguing, so I ordered it. It was AMAZING. Spicy, tangy and simply mouthwatering. So, I thought I should try my hands at making it at home. The first thing I did was to find out the reason why it is called “chicken 65”… apparently, there are a few speculations around this, but the most plausible reasons are that this chicken used to be item number 65 on the menu of the restaurant that first served it in the south Indian city of Chennai (also known as Madras) and that it was created in 1965. From there, this dish became popular all over India (and particularly in Hyderabad). You can easily tell that it is a southern Indian dish though: its spiciness and the use of curry leaves give it away quite easily! That sorted, Chicken 65 is a spicy, deep-fried chicken dish served as an entree or a quick snack. It’s also sold by street vendors and it is street food at its best! As Diwali is coming soon… what better time to share such an amazing Indian recipe?? Enjoy!

Chicken 65

Chicken 65 - a deliciously spicy recipe from the south of India!

Course Appetiser

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 4

Author Recipe adated from Maimoona Yasmeen Recipes

Ingredients

Marinade

500 gms – 1.1 lbs. chicken thigh fillets cute in bite-size pieces
1 tsp salt
2 tsp red chilly powder
½ tsp turmeric
½ tbsp ginger paste
½ tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp yogurt
½ tsp pepper ground
1 egg
5 tbsp corn flour

Stir fry Sauce

1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
4 small green chillies halved
½ bunch curry leaves
2 ½ tsp red chilly sauce
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ginger grated
8 garlic cloves chopped
¼ cup water
4 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp red food colouring optional

Instructions

Marinade

Mix all the ingredients together and let the chicken pieces marinate for 30 minutes.
Then deep fry them in batches in warm vegetable oil (at 140°C – 285°F) until golden brown and cooked through. Keep aside.

Stir fry

Put the vegetable oil in a big frying pan (I use a wok) and heat it on the fire. When hot, add the cumin seeds and let them splatter.
Add the grated ginger and the chopped garlic and stir.
Add the curry leaves and mix.
Add the green chillies and mix.
Add the red chilly powder, salt, red chilly sauce and red colouring (if using) and mix well.
Add water and stir.
At this point, add the fried chicken pieces and stir to coat them with the sauce. Let the chicken fry for a couple of minutes or until the sauce dries up and sticks to the chicken.
Serve hot with slices of onions and fresh coriander leaves.

Chicken 65