Chicken 65

5 from 84 votes

Chicken 65 is a fiery, crispy, and finger-licking good South Indian dish made with boneless, skinless chicken that is marinated, fried, and tossed in a fiery and tangy seasoning.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Hindu

Servings:

Calories: 313kcal

Author: Shilpa Kerur

Equipment

Ingredients

For the marination:

2 lb chicken thigh (cut into 1-inch pieces)
½ cup rice flour
½ cup cornstarch
¼ cup yogurt
1 sprig curry leaves (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala (use store-bought or homemade garam masala)
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt

For the tempering:

¾ cup yogurt
½ teaspoon red chili powder
½ teaspoon garam masala (use store-bought or homemade garam masala)
1 tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 inch ginger (finely chopped)
3-4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2 green chilies slit and desseded
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon cilantro

Instructions

Marinate the chicken and air fry:

In a large bowl, combine together yogurt, finely chopped curry leaves, ginger garlic paste, chili powder, garam masala powder, oil, and salt. Mix well.
Add the chicken pieces to it and mix well, making sure they are well coated. Let it sit for 30 minutes to one hour
Once the chicken is marinated, add the cornstarch and rice flour. Mix well to make sure the chicken pieces are coated.
Lightly grease the air fryer basket with oil. Place the chicken in a single layer.
Air fry at 350 F (180 C) for 9-10 minutes, or until the chicken is crispy and golden brown. Shake the basket after around 5 minutes.

Finish with tempering:

In a small bowl, take yogurt, garam masala, chili powder, and salt. Whisk it well making sure there are no lumps. Set it aside.
Heat oil in a frying pan or kadhai and add cumin seeds.
Once it splutters, add curry leaves, ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Saute for a few seconds.
Reduce the heat to low and add the yogurt mixture. Keep stirring for 1-2 minutes, until it thickens.
Add the fried chicken and toss on high heat for one minute.
Top with cilantro and serve hot.

Notes

Use boneless chicken thighs for better taste and tenderness. If you want to use chicken breast, marinate it for a longer time to ensure it stays tender after cooking. Cut the chicken into uniform bite-sized pieces.

Do not marinate the chicken with the flour coating. Add the flour just before air frying. I am coating the marinated chicken using rice flour and corn flour, making this dish gluten-free. However, you can also use all-purpose flour (plain flour) and chickpea flour (gram flour).

Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket. Cook the chicken in batches if necessary, ensuring enough space between the chicken pieces. Place the chicken on parchment paper or use a generous spray of oil to coat the basket before air frying.

Nutrition