Topic: Chicken 65

[chelseafan71]

Chicken 65 is a starter I used to have in my favourite Curry house back in the UK (the sree krishna in sw17) - It's a southern indian restaurant and this is a recipe that is aparently popular as a bar-snack in southern india. (Think of it as an alternative to a chicken tikka starter crossed with popcorn chicken - Although much much tastier than that sounds)

The recipe is based on one I found online somewhere that has been modified according to my taste via experimentation and what the owner of the restaurant told me when i told him we were moving to canada and I'd miss his establishment. He even gave me an uncooked portion in the marinade so we could have it one more time before we left the country.

I made this dish a couple of days ago, but forgot to take pics - I'll try and add some next time I make it


Makes a starter for 2

For the marinade:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - 1 lb (cut into bite size pieces)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Very Hot Chili Powder 0.75  tsp (vary depending on the potency of your chilli powder)
Cumin Powder 0.25 tsp
Turmeric powder 0.5tsp
Garam Masala 0.25 tsp
Cornflour - 2 tsp
Rice Flour - 1 tsp (chickpea flour would also work)
Natural Greek Yoghurt  2 tbsp
Red Food Colour - 0.25 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Egg - 1 (beaten)
Salt  pinch (to taste)
 

Other ingredients:

Oil - for frying

Curry Leaves - a decent stalks worth
Green Chilies - 2 halved

Raw onion slices - few just to garnish
Half a Lemon cut in wedges
Shredded lettuce to garnish

 

Method:

1.Mix all the ingredients listed under 'For the marinade' and mix well. Add the chicken
2.Allow it to marinade for a minimum of 2 hours at least - the more time the softer the chicken 65 will be - I usually go overnight.
3. Heat about 1cm of oil in a pan and fry curry leaves and green chillies till crisp and set aside. (You can also include pieces of ginger and garlic with the tempering ingredients).Then add the chicken pieces in batches and fry until crispy.
The batter should form a thin crisp delicious shell around the chicken
 

Serve immediately with the same sort of things you would with a chicken tikka - (on a sizzling cast iron platter if you have one) with raw onion,lemon wedges,shredded lettuce etc and raita to dip/pour on top.
you can also garnish with the chilli/curry leaves if you want.
 

The raita I use is based on one from this site that I modified slightly
1 cup natural greek yoghurt
2 tsp mint sauce
1 tbsp mango chutney (with the chunks mashed)
couple squirts lemon juice
1tsp runny clear honey
a few drops of the oil off the top of lime pickle
couple of drops of green or yellow food colouring if you want

mix thoroughly then let it sit for at least an hour then adjust according to taste -
milk to thin, extra yoghurt to thicken, extra mango chutney for sweetness, extra lemon for tartness

[fried]

I love a good chicken 65 as a starter, but I never order it when I go to my local restaurant for lunch 'cos it's too big and with that and a main course I just fall asleep in the afternoon.

Welcome to the site.

[curryhell]

Thanks for sharing CF.  This is a dish i have never tried but seems to be very popular.  Never seen it in my neck of the woods though 

[chewytikka]

Hi chelseafan71
Bangladeshi BIR don't know this one...
But I've cooked this many times over the years.

You maybe should give Sanjay AKA Mr.Vahrehvah's two part recipe a try.
Crispy battered chicken, tossed in a sticky Indo-Chinese sauce. YumYum

Good Thread here with link
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5599.msg55000.html#msg55000

cheers Chewy

[chelseafan71]

Hi chelseafan71
Bangladeshi BIR don't know this one...
But I've cooked this many times over the years.

You maybe should give Sanjay AKA Mr.Vahrehvah's two part recipe a try.
Crispy battered chicken, tossed in a sticky Indo-Chinese sauce. YumYum

Good Thread here with link
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5599.msg55000.html#msg55000

cheers Chewy

Looks interesting and I 'll probably give it a try, but that seems to me to be more like what i would recognise as a hakka style dish - the version of chicken 65 I was introduced to was served as chicken tikka would be - with salad, not in sauce.

(slightly off-topic...
If you aren't sure what hakka is, it's also known in toronto as indian-style chinese - which from my understanding is not authentic true hakka cuisine, but is amazingly delicious - the term can also be used in reference to jamaican-chinese dishes.  I didn't come across anything in london comparable to the toronto hakka experience, but if you are ever in toronto you should check it out - the lin garden (sheppard&pharmacy) is my hakka go-to. The toronto hakka restaurant community is reportedly an off-shoot of an ethnic chinese community from calcutta who congregated in the east end of toronto - not sure how accurate that story is though

[Edwin Catflap]

Made Mr Vahrehvah's chicken 65 at the weekend and it is gorgeous!! Didn't last till after the pub....I ate it there and then!!! Hence no piccies

Its lovely, hot and spicy and crunchy and definitely going to be a regular dish for me.

Ed

[Onions]

I love a good chicken 65 as a starter, but I never order it when I go to my local restaurant for lunch 'cos it's too big and with that and a main course I just fall asleep in the afternoon.

Welcome to the site.

Sounds perfect for work, then!!!

[mickyp]

chicken 65 makes for a great snack, the only dodgy time is when you put in the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and chillies, they spit the hot oil out like demons, stick em in and cover.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Hear of it, but never seen it on a menu and therefore never tried it.  What is it, exactly ?
** Phil.

[mickyp]

Hi Phil, its basically a spicy snack / starter, see the recipe at the top of the page, all variants I have found to be similar, key is finger chillies, mustard seeds and fresh curry leaves infused into the oil, the taste and aroma the curry leaves impart is quite unique.