Chicken-65

The story of chicken 65.

As is well known,in all the kallu (country liquor) bars "the favourite `food fight' is who eats the maximum chillies". If you have witnessed an evening in one of these places you will realise that it is a symbol of machoism to be able to eat more chillies then the next man.

Capitalising on this, an enterprising hotelier started the chicken 65 denoting that for every kilo of chicken - 65 chillies were used. It caught on and is today one of the mainstay of Hyderabadi snacks.Of course, others have told me different stories for the creation of chicken 65 but all of them remain shrouded in mystery but the dish itself looms as large as life.

250gms Chicken..preferably headless and boneless chicken
3-4 drops Red-Orange Colour
1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tsp Fresh Garam Masala
1 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp Corn Flour,
1 tbsp maida
1 egg
Hand full of Curry Patha
5-6 Green Chilies,
5-6 garlic chopped
1/4 cup Coriander
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

1. Cut chicken into small pieces and wash them.
2. To the chicken add ginger-garlic paste,egg,garam-masala pwdr,colour,corn flour,maida,chilly pwdr,salt turmeric pwdr. Mix them well.Let it marinate for about 1/2 an hour.
3. After that heat oil in a kadai and deep fry the marinated chicken taking 8-9 pieces at a time.
After the chicken becomes crispy but not dark colour take them off.
4. Now in the same oil deep fry the curry patha, few garlic (chopped),green chillies slited (length wise) till crispy.
5. At last decorate the fried chicken with fried curry patha, green chillies and coriander.

Serve hot as a snack with chopped coriander leaves and lemon wedges.