Chicken 65 Recipe
Chicken 65 is one of the classic dishes of South Indian cuisine. It’s a spicy deep-fried chicken dish with a tangy, thick sauce, and is most often eaten as a starter or street food snack.
The dish originates from the South Eastern Indian city of Chennai (formerly Madras) in the Tamil Nadu state. There are many strange rumours and claims as to how the dish acquired its name. For example, some say that 65 chickens are needed to make the dish, or that it was listed on a roadside vendor’s menu as number 65.
The Times of India newspaper says that it was created by A.M. Buhari, founder of the Buhari Hotel in Chennai, in 1965. The hotel restaurant followed the naming convention by subsequently introducing Chicken 78, 82 and 90, each corresponding to the years they were introduced.
Take your pick as to which version you believe, but rest assured you only need 400g of chicken to make Misty Ricardo’s chicken 65 recipe, which will yield four starter/snack portions, or two main course portions.
Books by Richard Sayce
INGREDIENTS (Battered Chicken)
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400g Chicken Breast, Thigh or Leg (cleaned, boneless, skinless)
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1½ tsp Ginger/Garlic Paste
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1 tsp Lemon Juice
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½ tsp Salt
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½ tsp Garam Masala
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1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
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1 tsp Fennel Seeds
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1 tsp Paprika
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1½ tsp Tandoori Masala Powder OR 1 tsp Tandoori Masala Paste (commercial brand)
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3-4 TBSP Cornflour
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1 TBSP All-Purpose Flour
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Oil for deep-frying
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METHOD (Battered Chicken)
- Chop the chicken into small pieces, about 2-3cm in diameter. Try to cut each piece about the same size.
- Add the chicken pieces and all the other batter ingredients except for the flours into a bowl and mix well with clean hands. Set aside for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Then add both types of flour and a little water to the bowl to form a very thick paste. Stir well to ensure chicken is evenly coated. You may need to add a little more cornflour or water to get the right thickness.
- Heat a medium-large pan no more than half-filled with oil to 170-180°C. A temperature gun or a cooking thermometer comes in handy here. Alternatively, you can use a deep fat fryer if you have one. For obvious reasons care and attention need to be paid when deep frying.
INGREDIENTS (Sauce)
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45ml Oil (Vegetable/Sunflower, etc.)
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¾ tsp Cumin Seeds
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½ tsp Mustard Seeds
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1 TBSP fresh or 2 TBSP Dried Curry Leaves (optional)
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80g Onion, finely diced
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40g Green Pepper, finely diced
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1½ tsp Ginger/Garlic Paste
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1 tsp Kasuri Methi
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1½ tsp Tandoori Masala Powder or 1 tsp
Tandoori Masala Paste (commercial brand) - ¼-½ tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder (freshly toasted and ground is best)
- 1 tsp Curry Powder (for example mild Madras curry powder)
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2½ TBSP Tomato Ketchup
- 1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice or Dressing
METHOD (Sauce)
- Now it’s time to make a sauce to coat those posh Indian chicken nuggets. Add 3 TBSP (45ml) of oil to a frying pan on medium high heat.
- Next add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and the curry leaves (if using). Fry for 30-45 seconds or until the mustard seeds start popping.
- Now add the finely diced onion and green pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes until soft, translucent, and just starting to brown around the edges.
- Add the ginger/garlic paste. Fry for 30 seconds or until the sizzling subsides and the paste is just starting to change colour.
- Add the kasuri methi, tandoori masala powder or paste, turmeric, coriander powder, curry powder, paprika, Kashmiri chilli powder, and salt.
- Fry for 20-30 seconds, initially adding 30ml of water to help the spices cook properly without burning. Stir frequently.
- Then add about 75ml more water, stir, and leave to cook for a further minute, stirring/scraping only if the sauce shows signs of sticking and burning.
- Now turn the heat up to high and add the tomato ketchup, dark soy sauce, lemon juice, the optional red food colouring, optional red chilli, and a further 75ml water. Stir together and leave to cook for a further couple of minutes.
- Turn the heat to low temporarily before adding the yoghurt and honey. Once mixed in turn the heat back up to high and leave to cook for a further minute or two until the sauce is thick. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice and/or honey if desired.
- Add the battered chicken pieces and mix.
- Serve this chicken 65 recipe with slices of onion and wedges of lemon. Best eaten immediately while the chicken is still crispy.
Watch the Video
NOTES
- Much more insights and useful cooking tips for cooking BIR style curries are in my Curry Compendium and Indian Restaurant Curry at Home Volume 1 cookbooks.
- All spoon measurements are level (1 tsp = 5ml, 1 TBSP = 15ml).
- You can use either breast or thigh meat for this dish. I recommend using chicken thigh for a better flavour and a chewy texture.
- Always keep raw chicken away from other ingredients, and thoroughly clean everything that it’s been in contact with before cooking with it.
- Curry leaves work well in this dish. I urge you to buy some fresh curry leaves as the flavour is much better, but dried are satisfactory.
- The red food colouring is optional but gives the Chicken 65 a great look. The Kashmirichilli powder and paprika give off a nice red colour too, so you might decide not to use the food colouring as well.
- To impress your friends and family, serve on a super-hot cast iron sizzle platter with lightly oiled semi-circular onion rings and a squeeze of lemon juice for a smoky effect.
- This recipe varies a touch from the corresponding YouTube video. I have increased the spicing a bit and increased the amount of cornflour used.
- I hope you enjoy this Chicken 65 recipe. Please visit the Misty Ricardo’s Curry Kitchen YouTube Channel for lots of Indian recipe videos.
