Today’s recipe is chicken 65 recipe, a famous Indian spicy dish.

There are various stores to explain why it is called chicken 65. 

• According to this article, the name is given because it was invented in 1965 by A.M Buhari of Hotel Buhari in South India.
• A different story affirms that the chef chopped the chicken into 65 pieces in the cooking process.
• Another version mentioned that a group of Indian soldiers in Chennai was presented with an elaborate menu. This chicken dish was the 65th item on the list.

Whatever it is, you don’t need 65 spices to make this dish. What you need is just some simple spices in your kitchen pantry. 

Let me show you how to make Chicken 65 in this recipe.

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The chicken 65 recipe

Today, chicken 65 is a South Indian dish served in Indian restaurants worldwide. Due to its universal taste, it is always a crowd-pleaser, and everyone loves it.

It is delicious and crispy, perfect as a side dish, starter, or appetizer.

The recipe is primarily chicken marinated with various Indian spices, deep-fried, and coated with tempered spices.  

Like many other Asian dishes, chicken 65 has ricocheted worldwide and has been incorporated into the local culture, Not to mention there are different treatments even in the Indian continent itself. There is no fixed recipe for chicken 65. Therefore, this recipe is my interpretation with some Malaysian influence, and you will expect it will taste similar to those from the local Indian restaurants.

Let’s get into the details of how to make this restaurant-style chicken 

1. Marinate the chicken

You can also use either chicken thighs or breast meat. However, it is best to use boneless chicken because it is more suitable as and side dish or appetizer.

1. Cut the boneless, skinless chicken breast meat into 1-2 inches pieces. 
2. Mix the boneless chicken pieces with ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder,  salt,  black pepper powder, Kashmiri chili powder, and garam masala.
3. Include some yogurt to add some acidity to the chicken. (I use yogurt in this recipe.)
4. Marinate the chicken pieces for an hour before deep frying.

Note:

• The longer you marinate, the tastier the chicken will be. You can even marinate it overnight.
• You can use finely minced garlic and ginger as a substitute for ginger-garlic paste. Ensure that the garlic and ginger are minced finely, or they will not stick to the chicken during the frying.
• If you do not have coriander and cumin powder, double the amount of garam masala.
• Marinate the chicken with the spices generously. You will only get the restaurant-style flavor if you use enough spices.
• Kashmiri chili powder is a red chili powder that gives the chicken a nice reddish appearance. You can add some paprika if you can’t get the Kashmiri chili powder. Otherwise, add some edible red food coloring like those served in the restaurant to get a bright red color.
• You can use add acidity to the chicken with lemon juice and yogurt. These ingredients help to tenderize the chicken meat. However, some chefs do not add yogurt to marinate the chicken, which is a personal preference.
• All-purpose flour is a good substitute for rice flour. However, cornstarch is essential as it is a crucial ingredient in producing the crispy crust.

2. Deep-fry the chicken

1. Coat the chicken with rice flour and cornstarch before deep-frying.
2. Heat some vegetable oil with a high point to medium heat, about 170°C/340°F.
3. Lower the marinated chicken pieces gently into the hot oil. Refrain from disturbing them for the first minute, which helps the coating adhere to the surface without dropping off. 
4. Deep-fry the chicken until golden brown, which will take four to five minutes, depending on the temperature and the size of the chicken pieces.
5. Remove the chicken from the oil with a slotted spoon.
6. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack or paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Note:

• The oil used for deep frying should be of high smoking point. Corn, canola, peanut, and palm oil are the standard oil types.
• Deep-fry the chicken pieces in small batches so they will not stick together in the pan.
• Part of the marinade and the flour will inevitably detach from the chicken pieces during the frying. Therefore, it is advisable to use a slotted spoon to remove the debris between batches.
• The chicken pieces will remain crispy for half an hour after deep-frying. Therefore, it is advisable not to be fried chicken to ensure they are still crispy while serving.
• An alternative to deep-fried is to air-fry the chicken. However, deep-frying chicken tastes better than air fryer chicken.

3. Temper the spices

1. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan.
2. Add the cumin seeds and stir-fry until they crackle.
3. Add the ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, dried chilies, and curry leaves. Saute over low heat until automatic.
4. Add a tablespoon of water to form a sauce.
5. Return the deep-fried chicken pieces to the pan and thoroughly mix them with the tempered spices. 
6. Garnish chicken with more curry leaves, onion rings, and lemon wedges. Serve with rasam, sambar, and rice.

Note

• You should start with low to medium heat to temper the cumin seeds, as they can burn quickly.
• Slit the green chilies lengthwise before adding them to the pan helps to release the flavor. The quantity of green chilies depends on the spice levels that you want. You can remove the seeds of the green chili to reduce the hotness, but I suggest not reducing the number of chilies as they contribute to the flavor.
• Pat dry the curry leaves and the green chilies to prevent them from splattering while frying.

4. How to store chicken 65?

You can store marinated chicken pieces in the freezer for four to six weeks. Since they are frozen, please defrost the chicken at room temperature before deep-frying.

If you make a large batch of chicken 65, I suggest freezing the marinated chicken without cornstarch and flour. You should add the flour and cornstarch only right before deep-frying.

5. Can I make chicken 65 if I don’t have all the spices in the recipe?

Yes, you can. Here are my tips:

1. The fundamental ingredients are ginger garlic paste, garam masala, turmeric, and chili powder.
2. You can double the amount of garam masala if cumin and coriander powder are unavailable.
3. Lemon juice and yogurt are optional. However, I would prefer to include either one, as the acidity helps tenderize the chicken meat.
4. You can substitute rice flour with all-purpose flour. As for the cornstarch, replace it with wheat starch or potato starch.
5. The dried chili in the recipe is optional. Just use the green chili to infuse the chili flavor into the chicken meat.
6. Curry leaves are indispensable for this chicken recipe. I always use fresh curry leaves as it is readily available. If you can’t get fresh curry leaves, you can use dry curry leaves as a substitute.