Chicken 65

I was first introduced to Chicken 65 as a bar snack in Hyderabad, washed down with a Kingfisher or 3. Since then it's become a regular on our family's table. We enjoy it as an appetizer for dinner parties, or alongside pulau and dal or sambhar.

Ingredients

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped very small and loosely packed
2 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 egg whites
4 drops of red food coloring
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder (more to taste / depending on strength!)
1 small green chili, diced small (optional but so delicious)
1 1/2 lbs chicken thigh, chopped into 1 inch pieces
5 tbsp corn starch
vegetable oil for frying (amount depends on size of your pan)

Instructions

Prep for marinade: juice the lemon(s); clean and chop cilantro & chicken, and make ginger garlic paste, if you don’t have it on hand.
In a large bowl, whisk egg whites to combine a bit.
Add ginger-garlic paste, food coloring, cilantro, lemon juice, salt and chili powder and whisk until combined. Keep aside.
Clean and chop chicken and add it to the marinade, while stirring to coat the chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge if you have time, but really, it’s not that necessary.
Add the corn starch when you’re ready to cook. This should thicken things up enough that the chicken is coated a bit and nothing drips off to be left in the bowl.
Heat the oil on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add 2 pieces of chicken (start with that to test taste and consistency). Ensure the pieces don’t stick to each other and turn them, if necessary. They will begin to turn a bit darker in color when cooked. Cut it to confirm it is cooked all the way through. Allow them to cool on a paper towel for a moment to absorb any excess oil.
Adjust accordingly and continue in small batches, per the size of your pan.

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