December 11, 2005

Chicken 65

Does anyone know what is the correct origin of the recipe name chicken 65? There are many folklore stories about this one. The first story is that the spices must soak for 65 days. The second story is about the Indian soldiers who needed something quick and easy during a war in 1965 and the unanimous choice of the soldiers was to have deep-fried boneless chicken pieces dipped in yogurt and spices - the chicken 65. The third story we know is about someone who used 65 dried red chilies to make the chicken hot. Whatever is the original story, the chicken 65 by any other name would taste as fiery and yummy.

The color and flavor of a restaurant-made chicken 65 is slightly different from the one we prepare at My Dhaba, perhaps mainly due to the fact that they put loads of ajno motto and red food coloring to make it look attractive. I am not sure of any other additives used with this dish too. We do not recommend using these unhealthy chemicals in our recipes.

Here is My Dhaba's recipe for our special chicken 65. Our kids love it.

Bringing the ingredients together...



Chicken 65 recipe
Serves - 4
Preparation time - 10 minutes; marination time 2-4 hours

Ingredients:
Chicken – ½ kg, preferably boneless, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
Yogurt – 2 tablespoons
Soya sauce – 2 teaspoons
Corn flour – 2 tablespoons
All purpose flour – 1 tablespoons
Ginger – ½ inch piece, finely chopped and crushed smooth
Garlic – 2 beads, finely chopped and crushed smooth
Red chilli powder – 2 teaspoon
Garam masala powder – ½ teaspoon (optional)
Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
Egg – 1 (optional)
Salt – ½ teaspoon or adjusted to taste
Vinegar - 1/2 teaspoon
Green chillies – 3, medium size, medium hot; deep fried
Oil – for deep frying

Method: Mix well all the ingredients together except green chillies and oil in a shallow vessel. Add the chicken pieces to this marinade along with the vinegar and mix it again evenly. Marinate it covered for 2-4 hours in a refrigerator. Heat oil in a fry pan and when the oil is very hot, deep fry the chicken pieces until it turns reddish brown. Serve it hot garnished with onion rings, lemon wedges, tomato slices, and/or deep fried green chillies as a main entree or as an appetising snacks. Enjoy!


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35 Comments:

Blogger Priya Bhaskaran said...

I love chicken 65. My favourite dish. Will surely give a try this week. Your non-veg dishes are mouthwatering VKN.

12/12/2005  
Blogger Mamatha said...

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that this dish was created in some famous restaurant in the year 1965 and hence the 65 in the name.

12/12/2005  
Blogger Joycelyn said...

hi, looks fantastic! thanks for sharing the recipe

12/12/2005  
Blogger Ravi said...

vkn, I too have heard different tales behind 'Chicken 65' but one which seemed close to convincing is that "The chicken used for making Chicken-65 should be just 65 days old". Other story which I heard is that 65 different spices go into the making of this recipe.

12/12/2005  
Blogger Priya Bhaskaran said...

VKN, I tried chicken 65 for the weekend potluck party. It came out very tasty. I was running out of vinegar, still it came out well. There was no left overs of chicken in the party. Thanks for sharing this recipe:)

12/20/2005  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi ... this surely sounds & looks like a very tasty dish!! In the past ...I have always tried using my own recipes ... but now I am definitely gonna try this one!!

1/17/2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The name comes from the 65th item on the menu at Buharis hotel on Mount Road Chennai. All those who doubt please visit the restaurant.....

5/03/2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Excellent recipe.But the dish that I have tasted in restaurants with the same name contained Curry leaves.

7/20/2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just saw this recipe now.It seems to be excellent.I am going to make it today itself

9/22/2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ria
I just saw this recipe now.It seems to be excellent.I am going to make it today itself

9/22/2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Instead of frying I bake mine for 45 minutes at 350. It comes out very moist. In the last 10 minutes I broil it. It comes out great.

10/02/2006  
Blogger Inji Pennu said...

You know I always wondered how it got its name. I had no clue about all three stories! Great!

12/13/2006  
Blogger Sulman said...

My mouth was watering as I read the recipe. I will definitely try it out sometime this weekend when I get the ingredients together. I only ate this dish once five years ago and I still remember it! Let's hope it comes out the same when I try.

4/06/2007  
Blogger Jagmohan S Nanaware said...

One version about the name Chicken 65 goes like follows (based on the Sunday times feature that answers all the vague questions)

It was not common in India to have non vegeterian food at home. Not only that, the restaurants which served nonveg food were very few. In south India such hotels were called "Military Hotels". The forwards or learned ones or the ones who wanted to try nonveg food used to go to such hotels. Since they were not regular nonveg eaters, they did not know the names of the dishes. So the story is that in one of the hotel this particular dish was 65th item on the menu and by word of mouth everybody knew it like that. Therefore usually the dish was ordered as "Ondu Chicken 65". This is how it got its name. There is another recipe for the same. In this recipe first the chicken is fried as given in the recipe above and later it is slow cooked in buttermilk till the whole buttermilk is absorbed or evaporated. Here is the link http://www.ndtvcooks.com/showonlyrecipe.asp?cond=category&category=chicken
I have tried it and it tastes great! Try it out.

9/05/2007  
Blogger Opal Scraps said...

I made this and it turned out awesome. Only i marinated the chicken overnight. thanks for this recipe. can i blog it? i'll definitely give your sites source.

11/27/2007  
Blogger Nithya Anand said...

Looks delicious..Have to try it out

4/19/2008  
Blogger Nithya Anand said...

looks yummy..I make it similar to yours..Feel free to check it out..
http://divyakuttyzkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/03/chicken-65.html

4/19/2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The real story behind the name Chicken 65 is that 65 ingradients were used in preparing the dish, when it was prepared for the first time....Also the chicken is cut into exactly 65 pieces...

5/07/2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

instead of adding the youghurt in marinade, after frying the chicken pieces in oil, keep them aside, take a little bit of oil like u use for tadkaa, add curry leaves after the oil is hot, toss them, then add chillies which have been slitted longitudinally, fry them a little, to this add the previously fried chicken and youghurt, mix well and keep it on sim till the whole youghurt evaporates, it will be great, the sour the youghurt, the better it will be. it goes extremely well with white wine especially the australian chardonnay

6/17/2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I tried your recipie. It turned out great.However, i did add some curry leaves.

6/18/2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

HEAPS OF THANKS.

I LOVE CHICKEN 65

8/17/2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I spent almost 2 weeks in Chennai (Madras)this past July, and my hosts told me that the chicken is not more than 65 days old.

-"Mr. Tom"

10/11/2008  
Blogger Unknown said...

The original meaning of Chicken 65 is that, the chicken should of 65 days old.

There is nothing related to 65 days spices neither the war of 1965 or neither the 65th item on the menu list, as it is a morden dish which is being prepared in recent years.

-- Joydeep Bonner
joydeep.bonner@gmail.com

3/22/2009  
Blogger Unknown said...

The original meaning of Chicken 65 is that, the chicken should of 65 days old.

There is nothing related to 65 days spices neither the war of 1965 or neither the 65th item on the menu list, as it is a morden dish which is being prepared in recent years.

-- Joydeep Bonner
joydeep.bonner@gmail.com

3/22/2009  
Anonymous Shweta said...

I tried this dish and its simply awesomw!!. thanks a lot for the recipe.Keep posting such wonderful recipes...

4/23/2009  
Blogger Unknown said...

I heard one version for the name chicken 65. Traditionally in India people used to consume 'country' breed or native breeds of chicken. This chicken takes a long time to grow, about 4 months to reach its correct weight. But then this Hybrid 'Broiler' chickens were introduced which was ready to be consumed in 65 days. And this chicken does not reproduce and they are purely farm bred only for meat. Hence the name chicken 65. But nowadays new breeds of Broilers have been introduced which reaches its weight to be consumed in 30 days.

9/28/2009  
Blogger Unknown said...

Check vah re vah chef....the name came from the menu number in the military hotel where non tamils order the chicken dish which is no.65 on the menu.......

we do that when we order lunch at mexican...lunch no.7 etc....

i think that might be right...by the way i am right now trying this chicken 65.....

10/30/2009  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hai,tat was great recippe i tried it today it came realy good my kids loved it thank you

4/17/2011  
Anonymous amrita said...

seeing this recipe makes me to have chicken 65 now,yummy

7/25/2011  
Blogger Arun said...

Hey what s this i too prepare chicken 65 from like you posted . But except adding soya sauce. Today i have Tried this by adding soya sauce . Really it destroyed the taste of my chicken. can any one tell me why we adding soya sauce

7/27/2011  
Blogger Arun said...

Does soya sauce really need

7/27/2011  
Anonymous DK Arun said...

Tried this recipe today for an event and it came out sooo goood!!! Thank you so much :)

3/14/2012  
Anonymous TC2 said...

Nice Post. Thank You for Sharing....

6/28/2013  
Anonymous Davis said...

Nice Blog..Thank for Sharing...

8/14/2013  
Anonymous Davis said...

Nice Blog..Thank you..Thank you for Sharing...

8/14/2013  

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