
Chicken 65 is a fiery South Indian chicken dish with a crisp coating, bold spices, and a fragrant curry leaf finish. This version uses yogurt, ginger, garlic, and deggi mirch for juicy, flavorful chicken that is perfect as a starter, snack, or party dish.
Toast the cumin seeds in a small dry pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Let them cool, then grind to a fine powder. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large bowl.
Add the yogurt, lime juice, salt, grated ginger, grated garlic, black pepper, chopped curry leaves, chopped coriander, deggi mirch, amchoor powder if using, sugar, 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, and ketchup to the chicken. Mix until every piece is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours to marinate.
Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add the rice flour and ground cumin, then mix again so the marinade lightly coats each piece.
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep, heavy pan to 180C. Fry the chicken in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes, or until crisp, cooked through, and deep golden. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp rapeseed oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the slit green chilies, chopped garlic, and curry leaves, and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the fried chicken to the pan and toss well for 1 to 2 minutes so the ароматics and oil coat the pieces evenly. Serve hot with lime wedges on the side.
For a milder version, reduce the deggi mirch and green chilies. If you cannot find amchoor powder, add an extra squeeze of lime at the end. Fry the chicken in batches to keep it crisp, and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; reheat in an oven or air fryer to restore texture.