Chicken 65 Recipe

Prepare chicken

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. This helps the marinade stick and gives better crisping when fried.

Make marinade

In a mixing bowl combine yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, rice flour, cornstarch, red chili powder, hot chili/cayenne, turmeric, garam masala, black pepper, salt, lemon juice and the egg (if using). Whisk until smooth and slightly thick.

Marinate chicken

Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix thoroughly so each piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; ideally 2–4 hours. For best flavor, marinate up to 6 hours but not longer than overnight because of the yogurt.

Prepare coating

About 15 minutes before frying, combine all-purpose flour, additional cornstarch and breadcrumbs (if using) in a shallow bowl or plate. Adjust salt lightly only if needed, since chicken already has salt.

Heat oil

Pour oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet or deep frying pan to a depth of about 1 to 1.5 inches (or use a deep fryer). Heat over medium-high until oil reaches 350°F (175°C) or a small breadcrumb sizzles and browns in about 30–40 seconds.

Coat pieces

Remove chicken from the marinade one piece at a time, letting excess drip off. Dredge lightly in the flour-cornstarch-breadcrumb mixture so pieces are evenly coated. Return to a plate; do not overcrowd.

Fry in batches

Carefully add 4–6 pieces to hot oil, depending on pan size. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 4–6 minutes per batch (internal temperature 165°F/74°C). Avoid overcrowding which lowers oil temperature.

Drain

Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken to a wire rack or paper towels to drain. Let the oil return to temperature between batches. For extra crispness, you can do a quick double-fry: fry first for 3–4 minutes, rest 2 minutes, then fry again for 1–2 minutes until very crisp.

Prepare tempering

In a small frying pan or wok, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add sliced garlic (if using) and sauté for 15–20 seconds until fragrant and lightly golden.

Add aromatics

Add curry leaves and slit green chilies. Sizzle for 20–30 seconds until curry leaves become crisp and chilies blister slightly. Be careful—curry leaves can splatter.

Toss chicken in tempering

Immediately transfer the fried chicken pieces into the pan with tempering. Toss quickly and continuously for 30–45 seconds so the flavors coat the chicken. Sprinkle a pinch of red chili flakes if you want extra heat and toss once more.

Finish & serve

Turn off heat. Squeeze lemon juice over the chicken, sprinkle chopped cilantro, and transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot with lemon wedges and a cooling yogurt dip or sliced onions.