Chicken 65

Chicken 65

Chicken 65

Boneless chicken pieces marinated in a fierce paste of red chilli, ginger, garlic, and yoghurt, then deep-fried until crispy on the outside and juicy within — finished with a tempering of curry leaves, green chillies, and a squeeze of lemon. Invented at Chennai's Buhari Hotel in 1965, Chicken 65 is now one of India's most recognisable bar snacks and starters, with dozens of theories about the origin of the name.

Cuisines

Chettinad Kongunadu Madras Hyderabadi Andhra

Best for

Snacks Lunch Dinner

Recipe

Prep: 20 min Cook: 30 min Total: 50 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

300 grams boneless chicken, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons corn flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
1 tablespoon curry leaves
2 tablespoons yogurt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Instructions

  1. 1 In a bowl, mix ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder, garam masala, lemon juice, corn flour, all-purpose flour, egg, and salt.
  2. 2 Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  3. 3 Heat oil in a deep pan for frying.
  4. 4 Once the oil is hot, carefully add the marinated chicken pieces and fry until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and drain on paper towels.
  5. 5 In a separate pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and add mustard seeds.
  6. 6 When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds.
  7. 7 Add yogurt to the pan and mix well.
  8. 8 Add the fried chicken pieces to the yogurt mixture and toss well to coat the chicken evenly.
  9. 9 Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips

For extra flavor, add a pinch of fenugreek powder to the marinade.