When I tried crispy fried chicken at home, I failed a couple of times to bring that restaurant-like taste and crunch. I remember the first one had a pale color, and it was undercooked a couple of times. I tried with varied proportions and timings till I mastered the art finally. This dish with curd and spice marinade plus corn flour and maida coating should be perfect to recreate the crispiness of those fried chicken pieces. The chicken inside will still be moist, and the Kashmiri chili will give it a beautiful red color. The garam masala and roasted cumin powder mixture makes it smell like those of a restaurant or a roadside dhaba. The pieces vanish at any family gathering long before the chutney is over.
The Basics:
- Crispy fried chicken is a juicy, crunchy golden-fried meat loved worldwide.
- Crispy fried chicken can be enjoyed with various accompaniments, sauces, green chutney, or mustard paste and side dishes.
- Crispy fried chicken has a savory and slightly tangy taste.
- With about 15 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes resting for the marinated chicken, I take around an hour to serve this dish.
- Oven-baked chicken, grilled chicken, or air-fried chicken are some alternatives to this dish that offer a similar taste.
The Ingredients:
- Chicken – 750 grams (cut and cleaned)
- Egg – 1 (or 2 tbsp of curd for eggless version)
- Ginger & Garlic Paste – 2 Tbsp
- Juice of 3 lemon wedges
- Corn flour (or rice flour) – 100 grams
- Maida – 100 grams
- Curd – 100 grams
- Black Pepper – half Tbsp
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder – half Tbsp
- Red Chili Powder – 1 Tbsp
- Roasted Cumin Powder – 1 Tbsp
- Coriander Powder – 1 Tbsp
- Garam Masala – 1 Tbsp
- Kasuri Methi – 1/2 Tsp
- Refined Oil – As required
- Rock Salt (or table salt) – As Required
How to Make Crispy Fried Chicken (Step by Step Images)?
1. First, marinate the chicken with lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste with some rock salt and set it aside for half an hour. This will tenderize the chicken and ensure proper cooking.
2. Now, add all the spices, such as red chili powder, garam masala, Kasuri Methi, coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, Kashmiri red chili powder (for colour), black pepper, drained curd, rock salt if required, all-purpose flour (Maida), corn flour, and an egg. Mix it thoroughly.
3. Place a pan or kadai over a stove or clay stove. Add enough oil to come halfway up the chicken pieces (about 3-4 cm), and fill the pan no more than halfway for frying and heat it. Do not make the oil too hot; otherwise, the chicken will become overly crispy on the outside but undercooked inside.
(Pro tip: I usually drop a pinch of batter in the oil. It should sizzle steadily, not violently, or the coating will burn before the inside cooks.)
4. Add the marinated chicken to the hot oil and fry it on medium heat. Repeat this process to fry all the chicken pieces.
(Pro tip: I always fry in small batches because crowding drops the oil temperature and gives soggy, greasy chicken.)
5. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside. Heat the pan again, then add all the chicken pieces back into the pan to flash fry them. Remove them when done.
6. Your crispy fried chicken is ready.
Experiment with These Ideas
- Sometimes I garnish the chicken pieces with chaat masala for a unique twist in taste.
- I once fried curry leaves along with. It gave the chicken pieces a distinct and wonderful flavor.
- When I use boneless thighs, I cut down the frying time by half.
Crispy Fried Chicken Recipe Handy Hints
Q: My chicken turned out to be tasteless within. What can I do to remedy this?
A: Do not hurry the process in the first half-hour, as directed in Step 1. The salt and lemon need time to penetrate.
Q: Why did my chicken taste greasy?
A: I had too many pieces in the oil at one time, and the oil cooled too much. I always fry fewer pieces now.
Q: Is rock salt really necessary in Step 1?
A: Not really, but it adds to the taste. If you use only table salt, it will not render the same taste, being more refined.
Recipe Card:
Crispy Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- Chicken – 750 grams cut and cleaned
- Egg – 1 or 2 tbsp of curd for eggless version
- Ginger & Garlic Paste – 2 Tbsp
- Juice of 3 lemon wedges
- Corn flour or rice flour – 100 grams
- Maida – 100 grams
- Curd – 100 grams
- Black Pepper – half Tbsp
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder – half Tbsp
- Red Chili Powder – 1 Tbsp
- Roasted Cumin Powder – 1 Tbsp
- Coriander Powder – 1 Tbsp
- Garam Masala – 1 Tbsp
- Kasuri Methi – 1/2 Tsp
- Refined Oil – As required
- Rock Salt or table salt – As Required
Instructions
- First, marinate the chicken with lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste with some rock salt and set it aside for half an hour. This will tenderize the chicken and ensure proper cooking.
- Now, add all the spices, such as red chili powder, garam masala, Kasuri Methi, coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, Kashmiri red chili powder (for colour), black pepper, drained curd, rock salt if required, all-purpose flour (Maida), corn flour, and an egg. Mix it thoroughly.
- Place a pan or kadai over a stove or clay stove. Add enough oil to come halfway up the chicken pieces (about 3-4 cm), and fill the pan no more than halfway for frying and heat it. Do not make the oil too hot; otherwise, the chicken will become overly crispy on the outside but undercooked inside. (Pro tip: I usually drop a pinch of batter in the oil. It should sizzle steadily, not violently, or the coating will burn before the inside cooks.)
- Add the marinated chicken to the hot oil and fry it on medium heat. Repeat this process to fry all the chicken pieces. (Pro tip: I always fry in small batches because crowding drops the oil temperature and gives soggy, greasy chicken.)
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside. Heat the pan again, then add all the chicken pieces back into the pan to flash fry them. Remove them when done.
- Your crispy fried chicken is ready.
