Delicious Hyderabadi Chicken 65 With Gravy

Perhaps the most famous South Indian appetizer, chicken 65 is a party of flavors when prepared the right way.

And, let me tell you, this real restaurant-style chicken 65 recipe isn't complicated at all!

Preparing this gluten-free chicken recipe is very simple, as once the marinated chicken has absorbed the flavors of the spices, it is then coated with rice flour and corn flour, and then fried till crispy and juicy; the fried chicken is finally incorporated in a rich yogurt sauce with tempering.

Many will tell you the key ingredients for the perfect chicken 65 recipe are curry leaves and chicken thighs, and they are absolutely right.

Curry leaves are used a lot in South India and good quality fresh [or fresh frozen] curry leaves elevate dishes to a whole other level [yes, I say this in every dish that involves this ingredient!].

On the other hand, boneless chicken is a must for this recipe, but opting for thighs rather than breasts, ensures the chicken remains moist and tender while getting nice and crispy on the outside [just like you would choose it to make these crispy golden chicken samosas].

Let's make chicken 65!

Chicken 65 Recipe Ingredients

• Chicken: Boneless and skinless chicken thighs are the best option for this recipe, as their high-fat content [compared to breats] allows them to remain moist after frying. You can use chicken breast instead, but make sure not to overcook it, as it will become rubbery.
• Yogurt, Ginger Garlic Paste: These are the wet ingredients for the marinade. Yogurt adds tanginess and its fat content keeps the meat moist; choose natural full-fat yogurt. Ginger garlic paste adds a hit to the chicken 65, and can't be replaced with chopped ginger and garlic, as they would not stick to the meat while frying - so I recommend blending them into a paste if you don't have the ready-made paste.
• Ajinomoto, Black Pepper Powder, Cumin Powder, Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder: The spices for the marinade, offering warmth, heat, and color. Ajinomoto is optional and really brings out the flavor of this dish.
• Rice Flour, and Corn Flour: These are added to the marinated chicken just before frying. Mixing these two at the last minute creates a very crispy outer layer.
• Vegetable Oil, Green Chilies, Garlic Cloves, Curry Leaves: The ingredients for the tempering. Should you not want a yogurt sauce for your chicken 65 you can use only these ingredients for the tadka, but if you like a spicy yogurt sauce, use also the next set of ingredients.
• Yogurt, Corn Flour, Red Chilli Powder, Ajinomoto: These ingredients are added to the tempering to create a tangy red yogurt sauce that is also spicy - absolutely delicious! Needs to be added at the last minute so as to keep the chicken bites crunchy.

How to cook Hyderabadi restaurant style chicken 65?

1. Dice the skinless and boneless chicken thighs to your preferred size, which should be ideally around an inch in size.
2. In a large bowl, on top of the chicken, add all the ingredients for the first marination: ajinomoto, natural full-fat yogurt, ginger garlic paste, chopped curry leaves, black pepper powder, and cumin powder, salt to taste, and some red chilli powder.
3. Mix well all the ingredients and allow the chicken to marinate for as long as possible, but for a minimum of two hours. If you can marinate the chicken overnight, ensure you store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

4. Once ready to cook, add corn and rice flours to the bowl of chicken, and mix well. This should be added last minute, as you want the flour mix to coat the marinated chicken, so as to make it crispy.
5. On medium heat, heat a frying pan with vegetable oil till it is hot, but not overheated. Oil that is too hot will burn the coating of the chicken 65 and keep it raw inside.
6. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the chicken ensuring not to overcrowd the frying pan. Frying the chicken in 2 or 3 batches so as to allow it to be crunchy and golden brown on the outside and well cooked inside is a good option if using smaller pans.
7. Once ready, drain the fried chicken of excess oil and allow it to rest on a well-spread kitchen towel or cooling rack, or any other method that will allow the excess frying oil to be removed from the chicken 65 cubes

8. Next, it is time for the tempering. This chicken 65 recipe requires a simple tempering [tadka] that is enriched with yogurt and red chilli powder.
9. To start, in a small pan, heat oil, and add garlic [finely chopped], slit green chilies, a dry red chili, and, once the raw smell of garlic has gone, add the curry leaves.

10. Next, add the room temperature yogurt, water, red chili powder, corn flour, and Ajinomoto, and mix well to create a creamy sauce.
11. Once the chicken 65 sauce is ready, add the fried chicken and toss it around, allowing all the pieces of chicken to be coated and adjust the salt.
12. Serve chicken 65 as an appetizer or a side dish on its own or with flatbreads such as rotis, naan, or parathas.

How to store chicken 65?

• If preparing in advance, it is best to store the fried chicken pieces separately from the tempering sauce. These can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days, but the chicken will not be as crispy as just fried.
• This recipe is not suitable for freezing, however, the marinated chicken can be frozen in an airtight container for 4-6 weeks.
• Before frying the chicken, allow the chicken pieces to fully defrost, then coat them with corn and rice flour, and fry them as per the recipe.

Tips and Tricks for Chicken 65

• Hyderabadi Version: This chicken 65 recipe is the Hyderabadi version, as it uses yogurt. Should you prefer not to have the yogurt sauce, you can add the fried chicken to the simple tempering and enjoy the side dish as it is. In this case, serve with some lemon wedges on the side or lemon juice squeezed on top!
• Yogurt Temperature: For the chicken 65 gravy, it is best to use yogurt that is not straight out of the fridge, as it will be easier to cook with it and it will be harder to split.
• Crispy Fried Chicken Pieces: Making chicken 65 crispy is a must and the types of flour used are very important. A mixture of corn flour and rice flour works best, however, corn flour can be swapped for all-purpose flour.
• Red Color: Chicken 65 is known for its bright red color, which is given either by red food coloring or by the Kashmiri chili powder. Although many are against using food coloring, these days, there are many brands that prepare these using natural ingredients that are not harmful. Should you like your food spicy and red at the same time, you can use a mixture of red chilli powder and Kashmiri chili powder in the marinade.
• Deep-Fried Chicken: It is important that when you fry the chicken you give it enough space and not overcrowd the pan. Ensure you fry the chicken pieces so that they can float freely around the pan and can cook properly. Once the chicken is cooked, drain it from the hot oil and spread it out well, so the steam can escape without making the chicken 65 coating soggy.
• Hot Oil: Deep frying chicken can be tricky if the temperature of the vegetable oil is not balanced. For best results heat the oil until it is hot, but not overheated. To test, drop a drop of the marinade in it, and if it raises to the top of the hot oil but it doesn't immediately become dark, then the oil is ready to fry. The right temperature oil will allow you to deep fry the chicken pieces until they are thoroughly cooked inside while becoming crispy and golden brown on the outside. Oil that is too hot will burn the marinade and leave the inside of the chicken pieces raw.
• Chicken Breast: This cut of chicken is not as fatty as thighs, so it is important it is left to marinate in the yogurt marinade long enough. The yogurt will add some fattiness to the meat and keep it moist while deep frying.
• Vegetarian Version: If you don't eat chicken or want to experiment and use this recipe with other ingredients, you can swap chicken pieces for paneer, aloo [potato], or gobi [cauliflower].
• Chicken 65 Throughout India: This deep-fried chicken recipe is made in different ways all over the country, so there's not one single Indian-style chicken 65, so you can find your preferred version for each occasion. You can serve it simply fried with some lemon juice, prepare the simple tempering to which you add fried chicken and enjoy, or follow this Hyderabadi version. Some places use different spices and add coriander powder, while some people prefer to cook the chicken in the air fryer, the important part is that you don't skip the curry leaves!

While there are many chicken recipes all over India, this is definitely one of the most loved and popular ones, and as soon as you marinate the chicken you will want to get deep frying to enjoy this fantastic appetizer.

Perfect to prepare as a sharing platter by omitting the sauce and adding some lemon juice, or as a main course to serve with its gravy, delicious to enjoy with roti, naan, or parathas.

Make chicken 65 your go-to recipe for gatherings, family dinners, or simply for yourself, you will enjoy every single bite of it!