You don’t need to look beyond chicken 65 to find a killer appetizer for your next Indian inspired dinner party. It is just that good.

Not a huge shocker. It’s spiced, deep fried chicken bites. Not good enough? Toss those morsels of chicken with some more spice and crispy fried curry leaves.

Crispy spiced chicken 65 is the ultimate Indian appetizer. - 1

Still not good enough? Serve it up with bits of shallot, green chili and cilantro. Still not good enough? I can’t help you. Sorry.

Chicken 65 in a pan from above. - 2 Chicken 65 in a pan from above. - 3 Chicken 65 in a copper pan from the front. - 4

chicken 65

Ingredients

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
  • vegetable oil for deep frying

Chicken 65 seasoning

  • 1 1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp tandoori masala (optional - for colour)
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp corn starch

Chicken 65 tempering (the final flavour blast)

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seed
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seed
  • 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste
  • 1-2 green chilies - finely diced
  • 20 fresh curry leaves - if you can get them

Instructions

Make the tempering

  • Heat the oil in a frying pan until it just shimmers. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and fry about 20 seconds. Add the curry leaves and fry another 10 seconds or so. Add the garlic ginger paste and green chilies and cook until the garlic ginger paste stops sputtering. Set aside.
  • Combine the chicken 65 seasoning ingredients. Mix well with the chicken thigh pieces. Let sit, covered, in the fridge for about 2 hours.
  • Heat enough vegetable oil come up about 1 inch in a cast iron frying pan. Try to regulate your heat so the oil is at 350F. This isn’t easy. Take your time. Use a candy/deep frying thermometer.
  • Fry the chicken in 3 batches. It doesn’t doesn’t take long. You want an internal temperature of 165F - around 3-4 minutes. Depends on the temperature of the oil and the size of the chicken pieces…
  • As the batches of chicken cook, add them into the frying pan with the tempering. Toss to combine. Add a bit of salt to taste. Garnish. Cilantro, sliced shallots or mild onion and green chili slices all work well.

Nutrition

This Japadog inspired terimayo hot dog is a hot dog jacked up with home-made teriyaki sauce and Japanese mayo. It’s not like any hot dog you have had before.

Never heard of Japadog? Not a huge shocker. It’s a guy in Vancouver with a street cart. A bunch of street carts in fact. Making all sorts of funky Japanese influenced hot dogs. Street food. Every city has it. Vancouver has the Japadog.

But it’s not just Vancouver anymore. They have street carts in LA now. And Santa Monica. How long can it be before Japadog rules the world? 100 years I think. Max. But you don’t have to wait. You can make this at home.

Japadog terimayo hot dogs from the front. - 5 Japadog terimayo hot dogs from the front. - 6