Have you ever wondered why the name “Chicken 65”?
There are so many historical claims for the dish. Chicken 65, comes with an origin story that the dish uses a 65-day old chicken meat, few others say it’s the 65th item on the menulist, some even claim 65 chillies/spices go into the recipe (sounds ill-logical right???). A more believable explanation was that chicken 65 was dish introduced in 1965 at the famous Buhari Hotel in Chennai. But, whatever the reason for the name is, chicken 65 has taken the spotlight.
There are many versions of the chicken 65 doing the rounds online. For now you do not have to worry about the “65″ of the Chicken 65. Try your hand at sensational flavors with this recipe.
Yes, It’s deep-fried, with this crunchiness to it, and punchy flavours of curry leaves, ginger, garlic, chillies and all the ingredients make a classic appetizer. I must say, Chicken 65 is a classic, and a classic deserves special mention.
The recipe is my version of Chicken 65, crispy out and moist inside with a pleasant red shade without food coloring. This tastes exactly like a restaurant one, I am sure you would love this recipe.
Cooking Time : 10 mins
Serves : 3 to 4
Ingredients:
- 500 grams boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoon ginger garlic, crushed
- 1 ½ tablespoon Chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon Cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon of Turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon curd (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper, crushed
- A sprig of Curry leaves
- Oil
So what are you waiting for? Let’s get frying…..
- Slice the chicken breasts into small bite sized pieces.
- Mix all of the ingredients listed above into a paste and stir this evenly into the chicken pieces. To this add, crushed curry leaves and peppercorns for an extra aroma.
Ground Peppercorns and curryleaves
- Let this marinate for about 1 hour or longer.
- When ready to deep fry, heat your oil in a large wok. The oil should be at least four inches deep. (The chicken can be shallow fried if you are concerned about using too much oil)
- The oil is ready when a small piece of battered chicken bubbles immediately when you put it in.
- Fry the chicken in batches until the exterior is nice and crispy and the meat is cooked through.
- Place the finished chicken pieces on a wire rack to rest while you finish the dish.
- Serve it hot with a wedge of lemon and raw onion rings. (I love garnishing with roasted cashews)
Restaurant style Chicken 65
Special Note:
- Tender chicken thigh part works best for chicken 65.
- Do not over-fry, it will result in hard chicken.
- Allow the chicken to sit in the marinade for at least a couple of hours; longer will not hurt.
- Curd tenderizes the meat.
Hungry Stomach 