History of Chicken 65 and why it is called so?

History of Chicken 65 and why it is called so?

Chicken 65! 

If you are looking forward to enjoying India’s varied food recipes, the Chicken 65 reigns as one of the top dishes to make you drool from anywhere in the world! This spicy and dry chicken snack is best loved as starters at most Indian homes, restaurants, and festivities! Have you tried them yet?

Why is it called Chicken 65? 

The History of Chicken 65 dates back to the year 1965, Chennai, when Mr. A. M. Buhari, owner of the Buhari Hotel chain invented this legendary starter. Since then the popularity of this legendary dish has only surged in India and across the world.

Although the above account is far more well established, many myths are surrounding the origins of this legendary dish.

One story states that it was created in 1965 as a simple meal for Indian Soldiers. Another story tells us that Chicken 65 got its name because it was prepared using 65 chilies and cooked by a budding hotelier. A rather vague idea for naming this dish claims that the dish was to be made from chickens that were 65 days old. One more claims that the recipe had 65 pieces of chicken or that it was mentioned as the 65th dish on the menu and so on!

The many myths may confuse us, but they have only made the dish more interesting over the years! Can you cook up one such interesting myth? That would be fun!

The dish often derives its red color and flavor from the red chili powder added to it and can be prepared with different sets of ingredients. However, the main ingredients generally used to prepare it are Chicken, red chilies, ginger, garlic, and salt. The recipe varies as per the restaurant and region you are dining in. It can be prepared with bone-in or boneless chicken as per your preference.

This recipe has also inspired many vegetarian dishes we enjoy today such as – Gobi 65, Paneer 65, etc.

The recipe involves marinating the chicken, deep-frying it, and finally stir-frying it. It is best served hot, garnished with lemons and onions.

The Chicken 65 recipe is a simple one, anyone can try it with a little guidance! Better yet, head to one of the nearest restaurants to enjoy a plate of piping hot and spicy chicken 65! You could try the Chennai style, Madurai style, Hyderabadi style, Andhra style, or any other special varieties served by the restaurant!

Let’s look at the recipe step-by-step! 

Ingredients: You will need Chicken, Egg, Cornflour, dried red chilies, Kashmiri chili powder, oil, salt, rice flour, curry leaves, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, ginger and garlic paste, green chilies, and cumin.

Ready the chicken: For this recipe use 250 grams of bone-in or boneless chicken. Although both come out well, it is recommended to use boneless ones as there are chances for the bones to crack and splutter on you while frying them. If you can handle it, then sure, go ahead.

Firstly clean the chicken and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Pat them dry using some tissue paper.

Prepare the marinade: 

In a mixing bowl, add half tablespoon of turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of coriander powder, half tablespoon of garam masala, and 1 tablespoon of salt or add it as per taste.

Further add 2 tablespoons of ginger and garlic paste, 1 tablespoon of cornflour, 2 tablespoons of rice flour, one well-beaten egg, and mix all the ingredients well.

Marination:

Add the tissue-dried chicken pieces to the marinade, coat it well and let it marinate for a minimum of half an hour.

Frying The Chicken: 

Take a frying pan with sufficient oil and heat it well on high flame for a few minutes. Once it’s well heated, bring the flame to medium heat, and gently drop a few chicken pieces. Try not to crowd the pan. Fry a few pieces at a time for about 5 -7 minutes or until you have a decent orangish-red color. If you are not able to recognize whether it’s cooked, simply taste one and confirm!

Final Step – The Stir Fry! 

For this step, you will need a pan heated with 2 tablespoons of oil, 2 slit green chilies, 2 dried red chilies, half a spoon of cumin, and 2 sprigs of curry leaves. Once it is ready, add in all the fried chicken pieces, and gently stir fry for another 2-3 minutes to absorb the flavors.

Your Chicken-65 is now finally ready with all the goodness of chicken, and spices! Plate and enjoy it while it’s still hot! While you can follow this recipe, you can always experiment with the ingredients!

Summing Up! 

Today, no doubt, chicken 65 is one of the best crowd-pleasers not only in India but across the globe! It is popularly served at parties, restaurants, and many other special occasions.

What can we say? It gets the conversation and party started!

In the next post, let’s look into Mutton with Onion & Green Capsicum Gravy