Chicken 65

Chicken 65 is a popular appetizer or starter of South India. There are many controversies regarding the name reason for this particular dish. Because it is a unique name with numbers. I believe the story, the popular restaurant in Chennai 'The Buhari' invented this popular dish and it was introduced in the year 1965.  So the 65 came from the year. They also offer Chicken 78, Chicken 82 and Chicken 90, introduced in 1978, 1982 and 1990 respectively. Some says this dish must be prepared using 65 days old chicken, like so many stories are there. I do not believe in them.

This is an easy to make tasty dish liked by kids to adults with out any age difference. Once you make this dish this will be finished in no time. When you fry this chicken even you get tempted to eat this. Cant resist the taste!!!

Preparation Time: 5 minutes.
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Cuisine: Tamil
Makes:  12-15 pcs

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken- 250 gms (preferably boneless)
All purpose Flour- 2 tablespoons
Corn Flour- 1 tablespoon
Egg, beaten- 2 teaspoons (Do not add much)(optional)
Ginger garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon
Pepper powder- 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Garam masala powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Fennel powder/ fennel seeds-1/2 teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Red food colour- powder/ liquid- a pinch/ few drops (optional)
Baking powder- 1/4 teaspoon(optional)
Lemon juice- 1/2
Oil- 1 teaspoon+ to fry

PROCEDURE:

• In a deep bowl add the chicken pieces and add the all the other ingredients such as all purpose flour, corn flour, ginger galic paste, chilli powder, pepper powder, garam masala powder, fennel powder, salt, lemon juice, a teaspoon of oil and also food colour.
• Add two teaspoons of beaten egg and mix well with the chicken as a mixtutre.
• Add baking powder initially in the marinade if you like to get this crispness last for hours like restaurants.
• Keep the marinated chicken for 15 to 30 minutes to absorb the masala inside the meat.

• Heat oil in a pan  and reduce the flame and fry the chicken on low to medium flame till crispy.
• Add some curry leaves and just before taking the chicken and fry with them and drian the chicken from the oil with the fried curry leaves using a slotted spoon. Fry them in two batches.
• Serve with onion and lemon wedges.
• Could be served as a starter or side dish for rice with rasam or chicken curry.
• Note: For variation add a teaspoon of soya sauce and tomato ketchup in the batter and follow the same procedure and deep fry the chicken.

You might also like Broccoli 65 recipe which is a vegetarian healthy version which i have posted earlier.

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Mangalore Bonda/ Mangalore Bajji/ Mysore Bonda

I wanted to make this Mangalore bonda for quite long time. When i saw the Vijay tv program Samayal samayal hosted by Venkadesh Bhut makes me to do this recipe with the spicy and little sweet onion chutney. He has prepared in an authentic way with a tasty dip. As the dip was so easy to prepare i planned to prepare the same dip for my bondas. I have added little rice flour for the crunchiness  and texture for the bondas.

Perfect snack for this chill weather with a hot cup of tea. So easy to prepare with in 15 minutes even with a super easy and tasty dip. Slightly crunchy on outside and soft and porous on inside. Tastes awesome with this chutney. Do try this recipe for this winter and let me know the feed back.

Preparation Time:5 minutes
Fermentation Time:10-15 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Cuisine: Andra
Serves:4

INGREDIENTS:
Maida/ All purpose flour- 1 cup
Rice flour- 1/4 cup
Curd/ thick butter milk-1/2 cup
Green chillies, chopped-2-3
Ginger, chopped- 1 inch
Peppercorns- 1 teaspoon
Jeera- 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves, chopped- 1 stand
Asafetida- 1/4 teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Baking Soda/ Appam Soda- 1/4 teaspoon

For Spicy Onion Chutney:
Onion, roughly chopped-1
Coconut, grated- 2 tablespoons
Jaggery- 1/4 teaspoon
Dried red chillies- 4-5
Tamarind- Pea size
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

Bonda:

• In a bow add chopped green chillies, ginger, peppercorns, jeera, curry leaves, asafetida, salt, baking soda, maida, rice flour and curd. 

• Mix well and beat with hand to make a thick but dropping consistency.(Medhu vada batter consistency) Add extra curd if needed.
• Allow the batter to ferment for about 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a pan and beat the batter with hand for a minute and drop gooseberry sized batter into the hot oil and fry till golden brown. 

• Drain from oil and serve with spicy onion chutney or coconut chutney.

Onion Chutney:

• To make Onion Chutney combine roughly chopped onion, coconut, jaggery, dried red chilli, tamarind and salt. Add some water and grind well to make a fine puree. 

• Make tempering by heating a teaspoon of oil and splutter mustard seeds, urad dhal and add some curry leaves.(This step is optional)

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Baby Corn Fingers/ Baby Corn Fritters/ Baby Corn Golden Fries

       Baby corn Fingers is an easy to make Starter/ Appetizer. Can be served as a snack or side dish with rice and curries or with variety rice. Outside is crunchy and the inside is soft. Super easy dish to be prepared in minutes without much pain.

      Kids love this dish because of the shape and taste. If the size of the corn is big boil them initially to half cook them then dip inside the batter and fry thm. A perfect Finger food. Serve with Ketchup or mayonnaise as a dipping sauce if needed.

INGREDIENTS:

Baby corn- 8-10
Maida/ All purpose Flour- 3 tablespoons
Corn Flour-1 ½ tablespoons
Rice Flour- 1 ½ tablespoons
Ginger Garlic paste- 1/2 teaspoons
Garam Masala (or) Chaat Masala- 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder/ Kashmiri Chilli powder-1/2 teaspoon
Soda powder- pinch
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• In a bowl take all the ingredients and dry mix with a spoon to mix all the ingredients.
• Then add water little by little and make like a thick bajji batter consistency.
• Dip an roll the babycorn well in the batter.

• Heat oil to smoking hot and reduce the flame to low and deep fry the corn till crisp on outside and deep golden colour appears.
• Drain them in paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

• If the size of the baby corn is big boil them to half cook them with little salt and dip inside the batter and fry them.

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Tempura Anchovies

       Tempura is a Japanese dish either of sea food or vegetables that have been dipped in a tempura batter and deep fried. Tempura is a very popular  Japanese dish and as well as one of the best known dish outside of Japan. Tempura dish is a simple recipe and a lipsmacking tasty dish.

       I had doubts till i prepared the dish, as to whether this dish would give out a fishy odour? and was waiting to taste the dish. When i fried the first fish sample i was really amazed about the taste. The dish did not have a fishy odour and tasted like a piece of fried chicken . Really crunchy and the crunchiness lasts for hours. Can serve this as a starter with vegetable salsa or even with rice can be used as a side dish with any curries. So yummy and a must try dish...

INGREDIENTS:

Anchovies, cleaned- 250 grams (1 cup)
Corn flour- 1 tablespoon
All purpose flour/ Maida- 1 teaspoon
Soda drink, plain (flavour less) - 100 ml (1/4 cup)
Ice cube- 1 big
Sugar- 1/4 teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Lemon juice- big squeeze
Pepper powder- 1/4 teaspoon

PROCEDURE:

• Clean the Anchovies by removing the scales (if any), head, digestive system and flatten the fish by running finger till the tail and remove the spine with our removing the tail. Wash the fish in running tap water and pat dry.
• Add corn flour and all purpose flour, salt, sugar and mix well. Add the soda water and mix well as a thick slurry. 

• Add a ice cube in this batter (little watery than bajji batter)
• Season with pepper powder and lemon juice. Check the salt add if you needed.

• Heat oil in medium flame and keep the flame to low and fry the fish till crispy and golden colour.
• I have served this with a quick vegetable salsa by chopping red onion, cucumber, tomatoes, coriander leaves seasoned with tomato sauce, pepper, salt and lime juice.

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French Fries/ Finger Chips

       French fries, Chips, Fries, Finger Chips, French-fried Potatoes are batches of deep fried potatoes. Originated from Belgium.North Americans refer to any elongated pieces of fried potatoes are Fries, while in the UK, Australia, Ireland and Newzealand long thin cut slices of fried potatoes are sometimes called fries to distinguish from the more thickly cut strips called Chips.

      French Fries are served hot and generally eaten as an accompainment with lunch or Dinner, or eaten as a snack, and they are a common fixture of Fast Food. French Fries are generally salted and in their simplest and most common form are served with Ketch up or Mayonnaise.

INGREDIENTS:

Potatoes-3-5

Salt-to taste

Oil- for frying

PROCEDURE:

• Peel the potatoes and cut the potatoes using French fry cutter/knife.
• Cut the potatoes into ¼ “x ¼ “in thickness and about 4” to 6”long. Soak the potatoes into the bowl of cold water. (avoid browning)

• Boil some water dump the potatoes and cook till the color of the potatoes slightly changes and slightly soft to touch.
• Drain the water and dump the potatoes in cold water.(Keep some ice cubes in water)
  
  

• After 1 to 1 ½ minutes, remove the potatoes and place them on a paper towel lined plate. 
• Heat up the oil, add the potatoes and deep fry till golden.
• Sprinkle with salt, and then toss the fries to mix salt evenly.

• Note: You can avoid boiling the potatoes instead double fry them. Fry first till becomes soft to touch then cool them the fries to room temperature then again fry them to golden and crisp.

 I am linking this recipe to the event, Cook N Share What u Like Event & Giveaway.

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Fish Fingers/ Fish Strips/ Fish Tenders/ Fish Fillets

       Fish fingers are the best appetizer and also a kids friendly snack. They can be baked, grilled, shallow fried or deep fried. You can add chilli powder and ginger garlic paste to make it more spicy for spice lovers.

       The term Fish Fingers is the first referenced in a recipe given in a British popular magazine in 1900. They are commonly found in frozen food section in supermarkets.

INGREDIENTS:

Fish fillet (White meat-King fish, Red snapper or Barracuda, cod , haddock, pollock )- 250 grams

Pepper- ½ teaspoon

Salt- to taste

Sugar- pinch

Lime juice/ Tamarind juice- 1 tablespoon

Egg-1

Bread crumbs- 1 cup

PROCEDURE: 

• Cut the Fish fillet into long strips.
• In a bowl add the fish strips and season with sugar, salt and pepper and lime juice or tamarind juice.
  

• Allow to marinate the strips for 5- 10 minutes.
• Take fish strips and coat with breadcrumbs or flour.
  

• Then dip the strips in beaten egg.
• Then again coat the strips in bread crumbs.
  

• Deep fry this in hot oil on medium flame till golden brown.
• Serve with ketch up or mayonnaise. 

• Note: do not fry the strips in high flame, the crumb coating will burn and gives a bitter taste.
• Fish cooks easily so do not worry, inside of the fish also cooks fast. 

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Oats Vada/Oats Vadai/ Oats Masala Vadai

       It’s a variation of Masala Vadai. More healthy and a tasty evening snack. By adding oats in this recipe these vadas turned out more crispy and also healthy. Easy to prepare, healthy, protein and fibre rich fritters.

       These are perfect fritters suits this climate and particularly this festive season. By making these vadas at your home make this festive season more special.

INGREDIENTS:

Oats- 1 cup

Channa dhal- ½ cup

Red chillies -2

Onion, chopped- ½

Green chilli, chopped-2

Ginger, finely chopped- 1 teaspoon

Fennel seeds- 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder- pinch (optional)

Salt- to taste

Oil- to fry

PROCEDURE:

• Soak the channa dhal with two red chillies in water about two hours.
• Drain the whole water and add this in blender with oats.
• Coarsely grind this and add this in a bowl.

• With this mixture add chopped onion, green chillies, ginger, fennel, turmeric powder and salt.
• Mix well with hand if you fell the mixture is dry sprinkle some water.
• Take a gooseberry sized ball and make it into shaped as vadas.
• Heat the oil and deep fry this in medium flame till crispy.

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Potato Wedges/ Home Fries/ Jojos

      Potato wedges are a variation of 'French fries'. As their name suggests, they are wedges of potatoes, often large and unpeeled, that are either baked or fried. They are sold at diners and fast food restaurants. In some regions of the United States, potato wedges are known as “jojos”.

     I have tried these potato wedges with a 'thyme' flavour. You can make these fries simply salted. Easy to make recipe. Kids would love the wedges. Can be served as a starter or evening snack.

INGREDIENTS:

Potatoes- 4

Corn flour- ¼ cup

Pepper- ½ teaspoon

Salt- to taste
Thyme- ½ teaspoon (optional)
Oil, to drizzle- 1 teaspoon

Oil- to deep fry

PROCEDURE:

• Boil or Pressure cook the potatoes (say 75% cooked) around three whistles on medium flame.
• Cut the potatoes into wedges(as shown in the photo). First cut the potato in to equal halves. Then halve the each half into 2 equal pieces. Then further halve the pieces to 2 more halves. You would have now got 8 wedges from a single potato.

• Sprinkle the potatoes with pepper,salt, thyme and little oil if you like and mix well.
• Coat the potatoes with corn flour.

• Deep fry this potatoes in smoking hot oil till 'slight golden colour'. Drain them and fry them in batches. When you fry the last batch the first batch will be ready to be fried again.
• Then once again fry the fried potatoes till 'crisp and dark golden'.
• Serve with Ketchup or Mayonnaise.

       

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