Chicken 65 is a popular South Indian restaurant-style starter of bite-sized pieces of tender boneless chicken that have been marinated in a melange of spices, aromatics, and yogurt / curd and then deep-fried to golden perfection.
Our chicken 65 recipe is a spicy hot chicken dish—crispy on the outside, soft in the inside, and totally delectable—and makes for a great starter, snack, entrée, or appetizer at any time. Chicken 65 is an integral part of restaurant and dhaba menus across the country.
What accounts for the intriguing name of Chicken 65? There are many stories about its origins, but it’s hard to sift fact from fiction. Some people claim that the dish is named for the 65 chillies per kg of chicken supposedly used in the recipe. Others say it is because the recipe calls for 65 spices. Or that the chicken in the dish is 65 days old. Or that the chicken is cut into 65 pieces. Or that each piece of chicken weighs 65 gm. Or that the serial number of the dish on the menu was 65. Or that it was originally priced at Rs 65. Or that it was invented to feed hungry Indian soldiers in the war of 1965. Or that it was invented by A. M. Buhari, the owner of Buhari restaurant or hotel in Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu, in 1965.
We may never know the truth about the origins of this favourite party snack, but we can all agree that Chicken 65 is irresistibly delicious.
Make Chicken 65 restaurant style at home with our quick, easy, and fool-proof recipe. All the ingredients you need are already available in your kitchen.
We have the option of doing a Chicken 65 dry fry recipe which reproduces the dish served as an appetizer in restaurants, with fried chicken pieces coated lightly in spicy, tangy, flavoursome batter, and omitting the addition of the yogurt right at the end; or make a chicken 65 gravy recipe (well, just a bit of gravy), by adding the yogurt. We have mentioned that this is optional in our chicken 65 video and will leave it to you to decide. We suggest trying both.
Chicken 65 is available in many versions, all quite different but equally yummy, ranging from Andhra style or Hyderabadi style to Madurai style to street style.
To make an Andhra- or Hyderabadi Chicken 65 recipe, use yogurt / curd for marination and seasoning like we have.
There are versions of Chicken 65 that use egg or egg white in the batter for frying because it seals the chicken juices and keeps the pieces soft and tender. This option is not one we suggest but is fine as long as the dish is cooked and served hot and fresh and eaten immediately, without needing to be kept for too long or refrigerated. If you use egg, mix it well using very little water (use one egg for half kg of chicken).
However, most people prefer the non-egg version of Chicken 65. This is because it can be refrigerated for later use and can be reheated more easily without risk, and the chicken is the star of the recipe without the changed taste from the addition of egg.
Garnish our easy Chicken 65 recipe with crispy deep-fried curry leaves or with fried cashew nuts for contrasting flavour and crunch.
Serve this scrumptious dish with lime or lemon wedges, sliced red onions, and slit green chilies.
While people love Chicken 65 as a snack, it is one of our go-to chicken recipes for dinner. For a weekend meal, serve Chicken 65 with South Indian coconut rice, or South Indian ghee rice, or vegetable biryani, roti, or chapati. A raita is a welcome cooling side dish.
Learn how to make Chicken 65 restaurant style step by step with pictures, video and all ingredients & easy cooking method from Yummefy Recipes.
Or see all our Chicken Recipes right here!