Chicken 65 - Satya
“Chicken 65 is a quintessential Indian street-food dish, and you will find many variations depending on the street-food vendor and their take on it. The dish is bright red in colour and has a reputation of being spicy. There are many myths about its origins and name: that it has 65 different types of chilli, 65 different spices or even 65 pieces of chicken. But nonetheless it always packs a punch and puts a smile on my face while eating it.” — Samrudh Akhuthota
Serves 3-4
500g chicken thighs, cut into 2½ cm dice
sunflower oil for deep-frying, plus ⅓ cup extra
2cm piece of ginger, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2–3 green chillies, coarsely chopped (see notes)
20 curry leaves
1 tbsp plain yoghurt
¼ tsp garam masala
¼ tsp red chilli powder
sea salt
1 tsp MSG (optional, but it’s good for the soul and the taste buds)
¼ tsp Indian red food colouring (optional)
marinade
2 eggs, whisked
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp standard flour
1 tbsp cornflour
pinch of sea salt
a few drops of Indian red food colouring for the OG style (optional)
optional garnish
several crisp fried curry leaves
handful coriander leaves
small handful thinly sliced cabbage
green chilli, deseeded and very finely sliced lengthways
Line a baking tray with paper towels.
To make the marinade, put all marinade ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and combine well. Add the chicken and mix well to evenly coat. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. (You can omit this stage, but the dish is better for it.)
Pour oil into a medium–large frying pan to a depth of 5–7cm. Heat the oil to 170°C over a medium-high heat. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a cube of bread into the oil; it’s ready when the bread turns golden brown in 15–20 seconds.
Remove the chicken from the fridge, drain the marinade and discard. Carefully add the chicken to the oil (you may need to do this in two batches) and deep-fry until it’s golden brown and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Test a piece by cutting it open — if the juices run clear it is cooked, if not, cook for a further 1–2 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on prepared baking tray. Season with sea salt and set aside.
Place a medium–large wok (or frying pan) over a medium heat. Pour in the 1/3 cup oil and when it is just starting to smoke, add the ginger, garlic and green chillies. Stir-fry for 15–20 seconds. Add the curry leaves, yoghurt, garam masala and red chilli powder, stir to combine, then add the chicken and stir or toss for 2–3 minutes to heat through. Season with sea salt, MSG and Indian red food colouring (if using).
Transfer to a serving dish, add optional garnishes if using, and serve.
Recipe and image from Auckland Eats Vol.1. Published by Lazy Susan.
