Chicken 65 Recipe

Chicken 65 is a very popular dish in India and is touted to be the Indian version of the otherwise 'Desi Chinese' Chicken Chilly (which is usually made with South East Asian ingredients). There are multiple theories about the origins of its name- some say it gets its name from the year it was invented in Tamil Nadu in Buhari Hotel, and then there are some absurd theories that claim that the dish was originally made with 65-day old chicken or that it was made using 65 ingredients and so on and so forth.

Essentially, its a spicy chicken starter dish that is deep fried and made using Indian spices. I have found that different states have distinct ways of preparing it(my favourite being the Hyderabadi variant) but the common ingredient I have always found this dish to be seasoned with is- curry leaf.

It can be made in any household with basic spices from your Indian pantry. Do try !

INGREDIENTS:

For marinade:

• 500g chicken

• 1tsp salt

• 2tsp ginger garlic paste

• 1.5 tsp red chilli powder

• 0.5tsp black pepper

• 1tsp cumin/jeera powder

• 3-4tbsp curd (softens the chicken)

For coating:

• 3-4 tbsp all purpose flour

• 2tbsp corn flour

• 2 tbsp rice flour or breadcrumbs

• 1 tsp salt

• 2tbsp ghee

• 6-7 chopped garlic cloves

• 2 chopped green chillies

• 2 tbsp curry leaves

• 1 tbsp jaggery

• 2 tsp red chilli powder

• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup

• 1 tbsp kauri methi

• 1/2tsp black pepper powder

• Salt to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Add marinade ingredients to a bowl and mix well with chicken. Marinate for 15-20minutes. I have used leg pieces for mine since that was all that was available. You could use any cut of chicken for this.

2. Add ingredients for the fried coating in a bowl and coat all chicken pieces well in this flour mixture.

3. Deep fry chicken until golden brown for about 12 minutes.

4. In a separate pan, add ghee. Once ghee is hot enough, add garlic, chillies and curry leaves and sauté for 2 minutes.

5. Add jaggery, chicken pieces, red chilly powder, tomato ketchup, kauri methi and pepper powder and mix well. Adjust for salt.

6. Sauté for 1 minute on low flame.

Watch recipe video below: