Chicken is one of the most versatile meats you will ever have. Hundreds of recipes can be made from chicken, and all of them taste great because of the tenderness of the meat. Here, let us see how to make this crispy and spicy Chicken 65 recipe, one of the most popular and classic chicken starters across the globe.
The spices that the chicken is marinated in seep well into the meat, transporting you to heaven directly when you bite into the chunks.
Chicken 65 Origin
There are different theories as to why Chicken 65 got its name. While some believe that in the olden days, the chicken was marinated for 65 days to make the perfect dish, others think that this dish got its name because the meat was cut into 65 pieces when cooking.
However, the truth behind the name of this dish is that it was first prepared in the year 1965 at the restaurants of one of Chennai’s (India) iconic hotels, Buhari.
Some points to note while making Chicken 65
- The common marinating ingredient to use is yogurt. However, if you don’t want to use yogurt, you can use eggs. Please note that using eggs can make the chicken turn soggy very soon. It also doesn’t give out a good smell.
- You can omit yogurt and egg when marinating. You can still use only the spice powders and keep the chicken pieces in the refrigerator. When you remove the bowl from the fridge, you can add a little water to mix the contents well. The chicken pieces will still be tender and juicy, even if you don’t use yogurt or eggs.
- You can add 3 to 4 tablespoons of tomato ketchup to the chili sauce for a tangy flavor while preparing the gravy.
- Garnishing with spring onions will make the dish look and taste more authentic than you ever imagined.
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How to Make Chicken 65 Recipe
Ok, gather your ingredients; it’s time to make this delicious and spicy Chicken 65!
Ingredients
- Boneless chicken pieces – ¼ kg
- Yogurt – 1 ½ tablespoon
- Corn flour or rice flour – 2 tablespoons
- Egg – 1 (optional, in place of yogurt)
- Ginger and garlic paste – ½ tablespoon
- Red chili powder – ½ tablespoon
- Freshly ground pepper – ½ tablespoon
- Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
- Fresh curry leaves – one spring
- Salt – to taste
- Oil – as needed for deep frying
- Cumin – ½ teaspoon
- Chopped garlic – ½ teaspoon
- Sliced green chilies – 2
- Sugar – 1//2 tablespoon
- Garlic paste of 2 cloves
- Curd for seasoning – 2 tablespoons
Instructions
- Take a big bowl and mix all the contents (yogurt, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt pepper powder and curry leaves) very well. Check for salt, and add more if needed.
- Add the boneless chicken cubes into the mixture. Mix the meat well so that all spices cover it well. Allow the chicken to soak in this mixture for an hour. If you have enough time, you can cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Leave it there overnight, as the chicken pieces will become very tender in this process.
- After taking out the chicken pieces from the refrigerator, you might notice that the contents have turned a bit dry. Add rice flour or cornflour to the mixture and add a little water to mix the contents well. If you have not added curd in the first step, you can add one beaten egg to the mixture instead of water to blend the chicken and spices.
- Now, you can heat oil in a deep frying pan. Once the oil is hot enough, drop the marinated chicken cubes one by one into the oil and fry gently. On a medium-high flame, keep frying the pieces until they become golden brown.
- Place the fried chicken cubes on tissue paper until the oil is absorbed.
- Now, heat a shallow pan on a low flame. Pour about 1 spoon of oil on it. When the oil becomes hot, you must add the cumin, chopped garlic, sliced green chilies and curry leaves to the pan. Fry them well, until you get a nice flavor.
- Once the garlic turns slightly brown, add the garlic paste, chili powder, salt and sugar to the pan. Mix the contents very well. You can add 2 tablespoons of curd or 1 teaspoon of vinegar at this stage, as per your choice.
- The mixture will cook well and begin to turn thick in consistency. This is the time you need to add the fried chicken pieces. Toss the pan well so that the spices coat the chicken cubes nicely.
- Keep frying on low flame until the chicken piece absorbs all the moisture of the seasoning ingredients. In about 2 minutes, you will notice this. Switch off the flame right away, as frying the chicken for a long time can make it soggy and rubbery.
- Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate and garnish with a fresh spring of curry leaves and some freshly ground pepper. Serve with onion slices, mint dip, or just the dish itself!
- Yummy and juicy chicken 65 is now ready!
Gravy Chicken 65 recipe
The recipe mentioned above is that of dry chicken 65. It tastes great as a starter. However, if you want chicken 65 to be a side for fried rice, you need to make it in the consistency of gravy. You can make just one change to the above recipe to make it a gravy-like dish.
After the garlic turns brown, you need some freshly chopped onions and fry well. Then add about 3 tablespoons of red chili sauce before adding sugar and other ingredients mentioned above. You can also add a teaspoon of Kashmiri chili powder to get the rich red color you find in the Chicken 65 served in restaurants. After the sauce cooks well, add the chicken pieces before you toss the pan well so that all pieces are covered in the sauce. Rich and delicious chicken 65 in a gravy-like consistency are now ready.
