Crispy Chilli-Garlic Chicken 65 Bites

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Juicy thigh pieces marinated in yogurt, ginger-garlic and Kashmiri chilli, then deep-fried in a light cornflour crust until shatteringly crisp and fire-engine red. It's the Indian restaurant starter everyone fights over, and it needs one pan of hot oil and about ten pantry spices' worth of effort. Finish with a hard squeeze of lemon and eat straight from the paper towel.

Ingredients

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

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups neutral oil, for deep-frying (sunflower or canola)

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala and salt until every piece is coated red. Cover and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to 8 hours, then let sit out 20 minutes before frying).
2. Crack the egg into the marinated chicken and mix, then sprinkle over the cornstarch and flour. Mix with your hands until the chicken is coated in a thick, clingy paste with no dry pockets. Let it stand while the oil heats.
3. Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pot so it comes no more than one-third up the sides — this is the safety margin that stops a boil-over. Clip on a thermometer and heat over medium to 350°F (175°C). Keep a lid nearby, never leave hot oil unattended, and keep children and water well away from the pot.
4. Lower about one-third of the chicken into the oil piece by piece, close to the surface so it doesn't splash. Fry 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until deep red-brown and crisp; the oil should stay between 325°F and 350°F (165–175°C). Lift out with a spider or slotted spoon onto a paper-towel-lined tray.
5. Let the oil climb back to 350°F (175°C) between batches and fry the remaining chicken in two more loads. Check one of the largest pieces reads 165°F (74°C) inside; if the crust is dark but the centre is under temperature, drop the heat slightly for the next batch.
6. Turn off the heat and let the oil cool completely in the pot before straining or disposing of it. Pile the chicken onto a platter, shower with cilantro and squeeze over plenty of lemon. Serve immediately, with extra wedges alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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