Why this recipe works
Chicken 65 is a yogurt-marinated, spiced, fried chicken, finished in a sizzling tempering of curry leaves, garlic and green chilli. The yogurt and ginger-garlic tenderise the meat and a light flour coat crisps it. We will be honest that this one is deep-fried, but the chicken underneath is lean protein, and it lightens well.
Ingredients
- Chicken (boneless), bite-size600 g
- Thick yogurt, ginger-garlic3 tbsp + 2 tbsp
- Kashmiri chilli, garam masala2 tsp + 1 tsp
- Cornflour + rice flour2 tbsp each
- Curry leaves, green chilli15 + 3
- Oil, saltto taste
Method
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1
Marinate the chicken in yogurt, ginger-garlic, Kashmiri chilli and garam masala for at least 30 minutes.
Why yogurt: the yogurt tenderises the chicken and its coating helps the spices cling, so the pieces stay juicy inside a crisp crust.
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2
Toss in a light cornflour-and-rice-flour coat, then deep-fry until crisp. For a lighter version, shallow-fry or air-fry.
The honest bit: this is deep-frying, so the chicken soaks up oil. Hot, steady oil means less absorption, and an air-fryer cuts most of it while keeping the crunch.
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3
In a little oil, crackle curry leaves, garlic and green chilli into a fragrant tempering.
Why curry leaves: the sizzling curry-leaf tempering is the signature aroma of Chicken 65, tossed through at the end so it stays fresh.
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4
Toss the fried chicken in the tempering (a spoon of yogurt makes it saucy) and serve hot.
An honest word
Chicken 65 is a deep-fried starter, a proper treat, not everyday health food. That said, the chicken itself is lean, high protein, so the fry is the only real issue. Made in an air fryer or shallow-fried, it keeps the crunch and the protein with a fraction of the oil. Either way, it is best as an occasional, shared plate.