Chai Time: Spicy Fried Chicken 65

Chai Time is an ongoing series on Spicewalla’s IGTV featuring chef and Spicewalla founder Meherwan Irani cooking Indian dishes LIVE in his home and answering all your cooking qs. Check out the video for Chicken 65 here to learn some tips and tricks that only an Indian mom or aunt could teach you! Follow us on instagram to tune in live and join the conversation.

Chef Meherwan Irani whips up a spicy batch of Chicken 65 - a popular street food snack in South India, originating in Chennai. Irani's recipe uses a batter spiced w/ kashmiri chili, turmeric, black pepper, hing, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, and lime for acidity + a few other ingredients. ⁣
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Post-battering, the chicken gets fried until golden and crispy. Try it paired w/ some Maggi ketchup. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle, send some our way too.
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There’s lots of speculation as to how the number “65” became a fixture in this recipe’s identity. Reasons range from it being named after the year it was invented - 1965, to the original recipe using 65 spices, to it being the 65th item on a restaurant’s menu where the dish first gained its popularity. Whatever the reason, we’re just glad it exists.⁣