One of Kerala’s favourite combinations is the sweet and sour flavour burst of Inji Puli. The curry made from tamarind and jaggery with spicy chillies and a hit of fresh ginger is often prepared during Onam celebrations. It can be used as a sauce or as a standalone pickle but no matter how its served, it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser. This recipe, inspired by Chef Suresh Pillai takes those classic flavours and a turns them into a fingerlicking sauce for chicken wings.
With the perfect balance of sweet, sour and spicy, these wings are the meeting point between east and west and showcase the strengths of two powerhouse dishes. It’s time to put that boring old barbeque sauce on a back burner and level up your game night snacks.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg chicken wings
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 1 egg
Sauce:
- Coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 onion
- 3 tbsp fresh ginger
- Curry leaves
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2-3 pieces jaggery
Method:
- In a large bowl mix together the chicken wings with the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, cornflour and egg. Stir till evenly coated and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
- Air fry the wings on medium heat until crispy.
- In a separate pan, start preparing the sauce. In hot coconut oil, fry chopped onions, fenugreek seeds, fresh ginger and mustard seeds. Add the curry leaves when the onions start to soften.
- Add in the tamarind paste and jaggery and stir until the jaggery has completely melted.
- Toss the fried chicken wings in the sauce and serve hot.