Enjoy the ever flavorful Crispy Chicken 65. Bite-sized chicken pieces marinated in spices and yoghurt, before fried to perfection. Serve with rice or naan, or nibble on it by its own.
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Whenever I’m back in Malaysia, visiting at least one banana leaf rice establishment is a must. The cuisine originates from India, and has gripped the hearts of many Malaysians.
Which includes my dad! I used to take him to Nirwana in Bangsar (a place in Kuala Lumpur) all the time because that was our favorite. Now, I’m not so sure if it’s still our top choice with so many new places popping up. The jury’s still out on that one.
With each order of banana leaf rice, you normally get a serving of white rice, an assortment of curries to choose from (which you can even mix a few together), vegetable sides, and various protein options.
My absolute staple order that I would get without fail is the chicken 65.
Crispy Chicken 65
There are plenty of different ways this spicy fried chicken dish is prepared. This recipe, however, is the closest and easiest way I’ve got to how I normally enjoy it in restaurants in Malaysia.
Bite-sized chicken pieces are marinated with spices and yoghurt before being tossed in a mixture of corn starch and rice flour. It’s then fried in oil until it turns amazingly crispy.
Name Origin
When I tried researching online for how Chicken 65 got its name, there were a few explanations that came up. Some say it was first made in 1965 in Buhari Hotel, Chennai. Other stories include that this dish uses 65 ingredients, or that it was the 65th item on the menu.
But whatever the case, be it as a starter or part of your main course, this delicious dish is fit for any occasion.
Ingredients
(For full ingredient measurements, please proceed to the recipe card below.)
- Boneless chicken thighs: Cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Red onion (optional)
- Chili peppers (optional): For fans of extra spicy, this is the way to go.
- Cornstarch and rice flour: Dredging the chicken in this combination will give you extra crispy results.
Marinade
- Yogurt
- Seasonings: Chili powder, Cumin, Garam masala, Paprika, Garlic powder, Onion powder
- Salt
- Sugar
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with the ingredients listed for at least 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, slice onions into rings to fry for later. The onions and chili peppers are to flavor the oil but is an optional step. Once the chicken is done marinating, add corn starch and rice flour then mix well.
- In a shallow pan, heat up oil over medium heat and once it’s hot enough, add the onions and chili peppers. Let it fry for 30 seconds – 1 minute before removing from oil.
- Add chicken to oil (one at a time) and cook in batches until golden brown. Place chicken on a cooling rack or a paper towel to drain the oil.
- Serve with the fried onion and chili peppers as garnish on top and with white rice. Enjoy!
Notes for Crispy Chicken 65
- No rice flour? If you don’t have rice flour, skip it and substitute with cornstarch.
- Curry leaves: Curry leaves are typically used too to flavor the oil, but I didn’t have any so I skipped it. If you’d like to add some curry leaves, follow the same steps as with the onions and chili peppers when flavoring the oil, then garnish the chicken at the end.
- Red coloring: Chicken 65 usually is bright red in color and you achieve this by adding red food coloring. I skipped that, but you can add it if you want to.
- Duration of marination: The longer you marinate, the better it is. However, make sure to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Frying method: I shallow fried this, but you can deep fry it as well.
More Chicken Recipes
- Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken) – No Mirin or Sake
- Malaysian Chicken Curry (Kari Ayam)
- Ayam Geprek (Smashed Fried Chicken)
- Chinese Crispy Lemon Chicken
- One-Pot Baked Chicken And Veggies
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How to make Crispy Chicken 65
Crispy Chicken 65
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 red onion optional
- sliced chili peppers optional
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp rice flour
Marinade
- 4 tbsp yogurt
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tbsp garam masala
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with the ingredients listed for at least 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, slice onions into rings to fry for later. The onions and chili peppers are to flavor the oil but is an optional step. Once the chicken is done marinating, add corn starch and rice flour then mix well.
- In a shallow pan, heat up oil over medium heat and once it's hot enough, add the onions and chili peppers. Let it fry for 30 seconds – 1 minute before removing from oil.
- Add chicken to oil (one at a time) and cook in batches until golden brown. Place chicken on a cooling rack or a paper towel to drain the oil.
- Serve with the fried onion and chili peppers as garnish on top and with white rice. Enjoy!
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