This is my attempt to recreate a chicken 65 that I tasted from an Indian restaurant recently. I always had this deep love for fried chicken. Although now I restrain myself from having a lot of it, keeping health in mind, I simply cannot keep my hands off this simple and delicious preparation. Unlike some other chicken 65 recipes that calls for deep-frying the chicken first and then sauteing it again in some masala, this recipe is so simple and easy to prepare. Here, chicken is marinated with some spices and then deep-fried in oil. The taste of this dish matched exactly with that of the restaurant. I made it as an appetizer when we had a few friends over for dinner and this was finished in minutes. I hope that’s enough for you to give it a try.
Ingredients (Serves 2 - 3)
- Boneless chicken - 350 gm or 1 breast fillet (If you’re using chicken breast - cut the cubes at a slanted angle to make them tender.)
- Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
- Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
- Chilly powder - 2 tsp
- Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
- Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
- Cumin powder - 2 pinches
- Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
- Yoghurt - 1 tbsp
- Lemon juice - 1tsp
- Salt - To taste
- Oil - To deep-fry
- Onion, spring onion, cilantro, lemon wedges - To garnish
Method
Wash the chicken and cut them into small cubes. Marinate the chicken cubes with all the ingredients listed above, except oil, for 6 - 8 hrs or at least 2 hrs in a refrigerator. Heat oil in a deep pan at medium heat. Deep fry the chicken cubes in 2 - 3 batches for about 5 minutes, until browned all over. Boneless chicken would not take more than 5-6 minutes to cook in hot oil but boned chicken pieces would take more time. Drain on to a paper towel. Combine 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 2 tbsp chopped spring onion, 1 tsp lemon juice and 2 pinches of salt in a platter. Serve the hot fried chicken on top with a few lemon wedges. This was how it was served in the restaurant. Enjoy!
Tips:
You can bake the chicken cubes instead of deep-frying. Thread the chicken cubes onto a skewer or place them in a baking tray, brush with oil and bake them for about 15 - 20 minutes at 400 F.
