“Come on, I’m making Chicken 65 tonight for dinner”, are the golden words that my mother uttered out of her mouth recently and made my day. I tried this interestingly-named dish at a restaurant while vacationing in Mumbai. Since I wasn’t familiar with the flavours and style of this dish, I instantly ordered it to satisfy my curiosity. And well, there was no room for disappointment as soon as it arrived on the table. The crispy and crunchy diced chicken pieces felt like an explosion of diverse flavours. The most interesting part was the curry leaves. Though I usually pick them out of the dosa and sambhar whenever they make an appearance on my plate, this time I gulped them down quickly. They tasted so good with the chicken that I didn’t have the heart to waste them.
After a long while, I had Chicken 65 for dinner and refreshed old memories and tastes. Do you the story behind the name of this dish? There are several speculations and theories around this South Indian dish but the most plausible one claims that the dish appeared on the menu of a hotel in Tamil Nadu along with Chicken 70 and 90 as items on the card. It was simply the numbering of the chicken dish that gave it its name. However, there are definitely those who believe that there are some culinary connections of the same like 65 types of chillies were used in making it or the marinade took 65 days. We doubt any of the latter are true but you can believe whichever one you like.
This dry and spicy preparation of chicken might seem like a cakewalk but mind you, there are several important points that need to be kept in mind before making these. If you’re planning on trying out Chicken 65 tonight, here are a few tips and tricks that will definitely get you a pat on the back.
1. Marinating Forever
No, don’t worry, you wouldn’t have to wait for a lifetime to eat this dish. The marinade is the key to the dish so it becomes essential that you marinate the chicken for sufficient amount of time. The longer the period of marination, the tastier your chicken will get. If you’ve got plenty of time on your hands, marinate it for two days and see the results.
2. Coating Nicely
Since it is a deep-fried recipe, you need an apt amount of crunchiness in your chicken for it to taste right. Corn flour or rice flour can be used in the marinade itself so that when you fry it, the chicken comes out all crispy. You can add eggs to the marinade too as they help in binding. If the yoghurt’s sourness doesn’t seem enough, you can always add some lemon juice or vinegar to amp up the sour taste of the chicken. Be careful while marinating since the pieces are small, use soft and mild hands to mix them.
3. Crushing Rightly
Curry leaves provide the dish with an edgy flavour like no one. Do not avoid adding it your fried chicken because then it will lose out on all the good taste. Crush the leaves nicely and add them to the chicken once fried. Also, prefer to use chicken thighs for this recipe as they are juicier. Another important thing to remember is that do not over-fry the chicken as it may lose all moisture and turn very dry.