Chicken 65
Chicken 65 is an Indo-Chinese dish, meaning the seasonings and sauces that create this dish are a combination of Indian and Chinese flavors. Created in Chennai, India in 1965, this dish delivers intense bites of chicken, fried twice for loads of flavor. If you want to make this dish for vegetarians you can substitute paneer for chicken or, you can make this with cauliflower for a vegan meal.
For fun, we served this with a simple yogurt dipping sauce. You can also try it with a fiery chili sauce or something tart, like a tamarind-soy dip.
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut in a 1 1/2 inch dice.
One whole lemon, divided
3/4 cup unsweetened Greek yogurt, divided
1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh garlic
2 Tablespoons plus 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Chicken 65 Spice Mix, divided
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2-3 Tablespoons your preferred chile-garlic hot sauce (optional)
Water, if needed
2-3 Tablespoons corn starch
1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying, plus more if needed
18-20 whole curry leaves; they can be fresh or dry, divided
2 teaspoons Yellow Mustard Seeds
1-2 fresh spicy chiles, like serrano or Thai bird chiles, sliced in halves or quarters
1 hearty pinch of Fine Sea Salt
1-2 teaspoons honey, depending on taste
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1. Combine diced chicken, zest from one half of the lemon, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, fresh ginger, garlic, and two Tablespoons Chicken 65 Spice Mix in a medium sized bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. While it sits, mix the second marinade.
2. Combine tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce if using, and 1 teaspoon of Chicken 65 Spice Mix in a separate bowl. Add water if your marinade is thick; it should be a little bit thinner than ketchup. Set aside.
3. Toss yogurt-coated chicken with 2-3 Tablespoons corn starch. The coating will get very thick.
4. Pour oil into a deep frying pan and warm over medium-high heat until it is shimmering. Carefully lower pieces of chicken into the hot oil to try and prevent the oil from spattering. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, until coating is brown and crisp-looking. It doesn’t have to be fully cooked since you will be cooking chicken a second time. Remove chicken pieces to paper towels to drain for a few minutes, then place them in the second marinade. You only need to marinate the chicken pieces for a few minutes.
5. When all the chicken is drained and sitting in the second marinade, use a skim or a sieve to remove any debris from the cooking oil, then return it to the pan. Then return to medium-high heat.
6. When oil is shimmering, add half of the curry leaves, Yellow Mustard Seeds, and chunks of fresh chiles. Once the smell of the mustard and chiles rise from the pan, remove the chicken from the second marinade and add it to the hot oil. Fry again until the chicken is almost dry and cooked through, another 5 minutes. In the final minute of cooking, add the remaining curry leaves.
7. While the chicken cooks, make the yogurt sauce. Mix 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/2 teaspoon Chicken 65 Spice Mix. Cut the lemon in half, and juice the zested half. Add juice to the yogurt marinade along with a hearty pinch of Fine Sea Salt and 1 teaspoon honey. Mix, taste, and add more honey and Chicken 65 Spice Mix if desired. Slice the remainder of the lemon into slices or wedges.
7. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with cilantro and lemon wedges.
