Chicken 65

Method

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1. Mix the chicken with the yoghurt, ginger and garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and salt.

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2. Marinate 30 minutes at room temperature.

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3. Stir in the rice flour, cornflour and egg to make a thick clinging coating.

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4. Heat the oil to 180C.

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5. Fry the chicken in three batches for 5 minutes each, until deep red-brown and firm. Drain on a rack.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

6. Pour all but 2 tbsp of the oil from the pan.

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7. Drop in the curry leaves, chillies and garlic and fry 15 seconds, until the leaves crackle.

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8. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the finishing yoghurt and lemon juice.

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9. Return the chicken and toss for 30 seconds to coat.

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10. Serve at once, while the coating is still crisp.

    Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Rice flour is what makes the crust shatter.
• The curry leaf tempering is the dish, not a garnish.
• Fry in three batches — crowding steams the coating soft.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the green chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Sliced onion and lemon
• Curd rice
• Cold lager

Storage & Reheating

Eat straight away. It will keep 2 days but the crust does not.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.