Crispy Chili-Garlic Fried Chicken Bites (Chicken 65)

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Juicy thigh pieces marinated in yogurt, ginger-garlic and Kashmiri chili, coated in cornstarch and rice flour, then deep-fried until shatteringly crisp. A quick sizzle of curry leaves and a squeeze of lemon at the end makes it taste like a proper South Indian restaurant snack — with twelve ingredients and one pot of hot oil.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp plain whole-milk yogurt
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (or 1 tbsp each grated ginger and garlic)
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (or 1 tsp paprika plus 1/2 tsp cayenne)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1.25 tsp fine salt

• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup rice flour (or more cornstarch)
• 1 large egg
• 6 cups neutral oil for frying, such as sunflower or canola

• 15 leaves fresh curry leaves (optional)
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, stir the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala and salt into a thick paste. Add the chicken pieces and toss until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
2. Add the cornstarch, rice flour and egg directly to the marinated chicken and mix with your hands or a spoon for a full minute, until the pieces are slick and evenly coated in a thick, clingy batter. Let it sit at room temperature while the oil heats.
3. Pour the oil into a heavy deep pot, filling it no more than one-third full, and heat over medium to 350°F (175°C) on a thermometer. Safety note: never leave hot oil unattended, keep children, water and wet utensils well away, have a metal lid nearby to smother any flare-up, and never move the pot until the oil has fully cooled. If you have no thermometer, a pinch of batter should sizzle briskly and rise within 2 seconds.
4. Lower about a third of the chicken into the oil one piece at a time, keeping the pieces separate. Fry for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once or twice, until deep red-brown and crisp and the internal temperature reads 175°F (80°C). Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a wire rack set over a tray.
5. Let the oil return to 350°F (175°C) between batches, then fry the remaining chicken in two more batches. Crowding drops the temperature and gives soggy, greasy results, so be patient.
6. Carefully spoon 1 tablespoon of the frying oil into a small skillet over medium heat, add the curry leaves and let them sizzle and crackle for 20 to 30 seconds, then pour leaves and oil over the fried chicken and toss.
7. Squeeze over a lemon wedge, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and serve immediately with the remaining lemon wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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