Monday, May 4, 2009

Chicken 65

Last week I made this chicken 65 as side dish for plain rice and sambar.
Chicken 65 can be the very best choice of all the chicken lovers. After marriage I slowly introduced a lot of chicken items to Xav. Before that because of restaurant food and bachelor life he had an aversion towards most of the food, especially the non veg. In some restaurants the chicken 65 won't be fully cooked inside and people start hating it. Yes, we should be careful in selecting the restaurants .
The first item I made was 'Chicken thokku' and the next one was 'Chicken 65'. From that moment of tasting the flavorful and well cooked home made chicken 65 , he became a fan of it. I will narrate my stories with fish and mutton later:)
I love to make this chicken 65 just because I can see him around while frying it. He loves to taste some pieces immediately after frying , even before the lunch time or my photo session..... ha ha. See how this aromatic chicken 65 has changed my man:)
The biggest challenge I face is to get a 'Chicken 65 masala powder' just like chennai version. So I made my very own masala at home.
I have been researching many versions and found the following very useful. I got this recipe from a chef near my dad's house.
So here is a Chicken 65 made without store bought masala.
The story behind the name 'chicken 65':
I heard two versions on how the name chicken 65 could have originated.
1. I read in a magazine that it is a kind of kebab / dry fry served in restaurants of Bombay during the period 1965 and hence the name.
2. Some people say that the suitable chicken used for the recipe would have grown for 65 days and hence got the name.
Any way when it comes to eating I ignore all stories and focus on my plate. How about you guys?

Enjoy the fool proof restaurant version of chicken 65.




Chicken 65:

Ingredients:
skinless boneless chicken - 1/2 lb (1/4 kg)
(thighs are the best here. Breast will yield a dry chicken 65)
Red Chilli Powder - 3/4 tsp
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Egg - 1
Corn flour / all purpose flour - 1 tsp
Rice flour - 1 tsp
curd / plain yogurt - 2 tbsp
Red food coloring - a pinch
garam masala - 1 tsp
Lemon juice / vinegar - 1 tbsp
Oil for deep frying _ 250 ml

To grind:

Ginger - 2 inch
Garlic - 4 pods

Method:

Wash and clean the chicken in running water.
Then again apply a tsp of Turmeric powder and wash it again. Drain the water. Pat dry it with paper towels.

Cut the chicken into 2 inch squares.

Grind the ginger and garlic to a fine paste.
In a mixing bowl add everything above except oil and chicken.
Blend it into a homogeneous mixture with a fork.Check for salt.

Then add the chicken and mix well.
Keep aside for the chicken to absorb the masalas for 1 hour or more .
(We can keep this in refrigerator overnight also - best way).

In a deep skillet heat the oil to smoking point.
Fry the chicken pieces in small batches in low heat until they are fully cooked.
Remove from oil and place on paper towels to remove excess oil .

Place it on serving bowl.
Squeeze a full lemon over the fried pieces (to make it soft) and serve with sliced onion and lemon wedges.
Chicken 65 is ready!
Tamilnadu style chicken 65 I made for a party ( Aug 2013)
Serving suggestion:
Serve as starter or side dish with any rice dish.
Goes well with plain rice and sambar / rasam.

Note:
Overnight marination inside fridge is my secret behind best juicy chicken 65.
If doing so, add 1 tbsp white vinegar per pound while marination to ensure freshness of meat.

29 comments:

FH said...

I have yet to make this chicken 65, heard about it so much. Looks delicious! :)

Ann said...

Oh Dear! My husband loves Chicken, he cant eat cause I wont cook! :)he saw the picture and he is like can we go to her place NOW ? :) ha ha ha ha !

Gita Jaishankar said...

Great job dear, I still have a hard time convincing my hubby to eat Non-veg :( Guess I could try making chicken 65 and see :)

Vikis Kitchen said...

Thanks Asha.
Hi Ann, please come over da. I am glad that u guys like it.
Yes Gita , its a chalenge for us to change their taste buds..ha ha

Nandinis food said...

Chicken 65 looks crispy and delicious. Nice colour!

Pooja said...

Wow that is so tempting! Being a chicken lover this is my favourite but have never made it..your post has tempted me :)

Finla said...

Pass me the whole plate please.
Looks so good.

Ashwini said...

Looks so delish..My hubby would love to have those.. yumm

Saraswathy Balakrishnan said...

hmmm yummy looking Chicken 65 Viki..are sure that none of the pieces are missing from the plate :))

ARUNA said...

i'm like a brand ambassador for this dish among my friends......when ever there is a party or get together in my house, people expect me to make this dish as entree and i love to do it too!

Suparna said...

Hello viki,
chicken 65 the restaurant way...mmmm yumm yumm.. juicyspicy bites.tempting pics
TC

saffronapron.blogspot.com said...

Nice yummy looking chicken. Do u have any idea of why it is called chicken 65???

Priya Suresh said...

Love chicken 65! my all time favourite, not only mine but also my daughter's fav!looks gorgeous!

sathya said...

Looks delicious viki, love chicken 65.Waiting to hear your story about mutton & fish :)

Ramya Vijaykumar said...

Nice chicken 65 very tempting this goes with everything well... Honestly Viki, either the restaurant ppl dont cook it well or they make it too dry too flaky that one bite cannot get past your throat... Amazing recipe...

Vikis Kitchen said...

Thanks for your encouragement friends.
Smitha: I have included the info about the name now.

Cham said...

My son is die hard fan of chick 65, I guess it was my first post! Different recipe and looks yummy!

Priyameena said...

Wow!!Chicken 65!!Kalukurae vicky!!

Ammu said...

Chicken 65 looks crispy & cruncy. Wants to have them. Superb.

Poornima Nair said...

Thats the perfect snack...looks delicious.

veena said...

Hi
this is my first comment here ...chicken 65 looks so yummy ..i am drooling ....great click..
keep in touch
love
veena

Vrinda said...

looks so crispy and tempting..liked the story behind that..may i hav one..?

lissie said...

vicky, enjoyed reading your post...your version sounds really delicious! when I add flour and egg, I call it chicken kabab :)

Kayal said...

Chicken 65 looks very yummy. You have the same version as mine.

Premyscakes said...

fantastic dear!!! i love all your n.v dishes. too tempting.

Unknown said...

Love this baked version of chicken 65....going to make it now!! :-))

Unknown said...

Happy to follow you dear....

Chk out my space too when time permits:
http://anuzhealthykitchen.blogspot.com/

கேரளாக்காரன் said...

Preparing now :)

கேரளாக்காரன் said...

Preparing now :)

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