CHICKEN 65

Recipe & photos by Helen K.M. Manik

Chicken 65 is a spicy, deep fried chicken dish originating from Chennai(Madras), as a bar snack, entree, or quick snack. The flavour of the dish comes from ginger, cayenne pepper, mustard powder and vinegar although the exact recipe can vary. It can be prepared using chicken on or off the bone.

While the name "Chicken 65" is universally used to refer to the dish, there are many different stories for how the name came about.

Ingredients:
1 kg chicken boneless & skinless, cut in to medium size cubes
4 sdm cornflour
2 sdm all purpose flour
2 eggs
1 sdm ginger garlic paste
Salt to taste
1 tbsp chili powder (optional)
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp corriander powder
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ cardamom powder
few drops of red food color
2 red onion, cut in to cubes
1 cup plain yogurt
1 handfull curry leaves
Oil for frying

Direction:
In a large bowl, mix together corn flour, all purpose flour, eggs, ginger garlic paste, salt, chili powder, cumin powder, corriander powder, cardamom powder, yogurt and red food color. Add the washed chicken cubes and mix well. Let rest in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
After 2-3 hours, deep fry the chicken pieces.
In a large wok, Add 2 tbsp of oil, drop the curry leaves and red onion. Stir fry the onion until transparant and curry leaves looks dry. Add the fried chicken. Cook until dry. Serve and garnish with corriader leaves.

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Gulab Jamun

Gulab jamun (Kannada: ಜಾಮೂನು), is a popular dessert in countries of the India. It is made of a dough consisting mainly of milk solids. Traditionally, khoya, an Indian milk product (buffalo milk) is rolled into a ball together with some flour and then deep fried, but at a low temperature of about 148°C. It is then put into sugar syrup flavored with cardamom seeds or rosewater or safron. These days, gulab jamun powder is also commercially available, so the dessert can be prepared easily. Gulab Jamun is dessert often eaten at festivals or major celebrations such as marriages.
(source: wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 cup Milk Powder

¼ cup All Purpose Flour (Maida)

¼ cup Fresh Milk

2 tbsp butter, room temperature

1/8 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp Fresh Milk

Sugar Syrup

2 cup water

1 cup sugar

6 cardamoms

Direction:

Sugar syrup:

Mix all the ingredients in a large saucepan. Let it boil then simmer on a medium-low heat until thickness required.

The dough:

(as the photos shown)

1. Prepare the ingredients.

2. In a large bowl, Mix together milk powder, all purpose flour, 1/4 cup milk, butter and baking soda. Cover the mixture and let it rest for 15 minutes.

3. After 15 minutes, you will find the dough is dry. Dry mixture will crack when u roll it and when you fry. It turns hard when it is cooked.

4. Add 2 tbsp fresh milk into the mixture and knead for 1 minutes.

5. You need the soft mixture as you can see in the picture (5) it is still stick on to the hand.

6. Roll the dough in to a small ball.

7. Deep fry the balls on medium flame until it turned to brown color.

8. Drop the balls on a kitchen towel sheet to absorbed oil.

9. Deep the balls in the ready sugar syrup and keep for 1 hour to let the balls of gulab jamun to absorb the syrup. Ready to serve.

Recipe & Photos by Helen K.M. Manik

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