Chicken 65 – Crispy Spiced Fried Chicken

⏱ 45 min · Serves 4

A legendary Indian street-food classic, Chicken 65 delivers fiery, tangy, deeply spiced chicken with an irresistibly crunchy crust. Marinated in yogurt and a bold blend of spices, then fried until golden and tossed with curry leaves and green chillies – this is the ultimate fakeaway that beats any restaurant version.

Per serving: 420 kcal · 38.0g protein · 18.0g carbs · 22.0g fat

Ingredients

• 700g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 120ml plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 tsp regular red chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 egg
• Vegetable oil, for deep frying
• 15 fresh curry leaves
• 3 green chillies, slit lengthways
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• Lemon wedges and sliced red onion, to serve

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, cornflour, rice flour, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chilli powder, regular chilli powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, salt, lemon juice and egg. Whisk until smooth.
2. Add the chicken pieces and coat thoroughly. Cover and marinate for at least 20 minutes at room temperature (or up to 4 hours in the fridge).
3. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or wok to 175°C (350°F) – enough oil to submerge the chicken pieces.
4. Fry the chicken in batches for 5–6 minutes per batch, turning occasionally, until deep golden, crispy and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
5. In a separate wide frying pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over high heat. Add curry leaves, slit green chillies and sliced garlic. Fry for 30 seconds until fragrant and the curry leaves crisp up.
6. Add the fried chicken to the pan along with soy sauce and vinegar. Toss everything vigorously over high heat for 1 minute until the chicken is well coated and glossy.
7. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and sliced red onion on the side.