Crispy red-orange Chicken 65 with curry leaves and green chillies in a black bowl, with a lager behind.

Chicken 65 at home

South Indian · Appetizer · 1 hr 40 min

Jump to recipe

A home recipe for Chicken 65. Spiced, marinated chicken thighs fried until crisp, then tossed with curry leaves, green chillies and a tangy yogurt-chilli sauce.

Chicken 65 is South India’s great bar snack: bite-sized, deeply spiced fried chicken with crisp curry leaves and green chillies. Nobody agrees on where the name came from, and nobody minds.

Our kitchen tosses it in green chillies, a spicy red sauce and yogurt. This home version follows the same idea.

Tips for crisp chicken

  • Use thighs. They stay juicy through the high heat.
  • Add the starch last. Cornstarch and rice flour make the shell crisp; added too early they turn gluey.
  • Fry in batches. Crowding drops the oil temperature and the coating goes soft.

What to drink

A very cold lager. The bubbles and chill reset your palate between bites.

Recipe

Chicken 65 at home

Prep
20 min
Marinate
1 hr
Cook
20 min
Total
1 hr 40 min
Makes
4 servings as a starter
Level
Moderate

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 1 lb (450 g) boneless chicken thighs, in 1-inch pieces
  • 3 tbsp thick yogurt
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp black pepper and ½ tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp rice flour
  • 6 curry leaves, finely chopped

To fry and toss

  • Neutral oil for deep frying
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 3 green chillies, slit
  • 15 curry leaves
  • 3 tbsp yogurt whisked with ½ tsp chilli powder and a pinch of salt

Method

  1. Marinate. Mix everything in the marinade except the cornstarch and rice flour. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Just before frying, stir in the cornstarch and rice flour so each piece is coated in a thick paste.
  2. Fry. Heat oil to 350°F (175°C) in a heavy pot, no more than one-third full. Fry the chicken in small batches for 5–6 minutes, until deep red-brown, crisp and cooked to 165°F (74°C). Drain on a rack.
  3. Toss. In a wide pan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Fry the garlic, green chillies and curry leaves for 30 seconds until the leaves crackle. Lower the heat, add the yogurt sauce and stir for a minute until it thickens.
  4. Finish. Add the fried chicken and toss to coat. Serve at once, with lemon wedges.

Home-style recipe from the Biryani Pot Indian Bar & Grill Journal. It is not our restaurant's own recipe; for that, visit us.