The Fiery Fried Chicken That Will Help You Beat the Summer Heat

Much of Indian cuisine is known for packing in spice, and its approach to cooking fried chicken is no exception. The well-seasoned, peppery take on a fried bird is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S., but the dish – referred to as Chicken 65 in South Asia – has long been prevalent in various regions across India.

Chicken 65’s moniker is a nod to the year 1965, when it was conceived by chef and hotelier, A.M. Buhari. It was put on the menu at the Buhari Hotel in Chennai City in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where it remains a signature today. The abundance of chili peppers accessible across India’s southern region gave chefs a reason to lean into creating spicier foods, and the area’s sweltering climate served as an ideal landscape to do so.

While chilled eats and icy refreshers are obvious choices in the summer, tongue-tingling dishes are favored in South Asia during the hot and humid months. Sweat-inducing eats like vindaloo, curry and spicy fried chicken cause diners to perspire, naturally offering a cooling sensation.

Traditionally, the dish is made by marinating chicken in aromatics like ginger, garlic, lemon, chilies and spices, dredging it in seasoned flour and then frying it until crispy. Since its inception, restaurant chefs and home cooks around the globe have experimented with their own variations.

While fried chicken in the West is typically golden in color, Indian fried chicken can range from deep orange to crimson, depending on the spices and chilies used in its preparation. Its hue is not the only difference – the Indian iteration incorporates thighs in lieu of breast meat, which is fattier, and calls for yogurt in its marinade instead of buttermilk. Another stark difference is that fried chicken in India is not often considered a main course or entree, as it is in the states. Similar to pakora, fritters made from frying gram flour-coated vegetables, Indian fried chicken is a popular street food and is often enjoyed as an appetizer or snack.

According to chef Jassi Bindra, who helms modern Indian restaurant Amrina in Houston, and soon-to-be-open fried chicken concept Pok Pok Po, this ideology falls in line with many Indian foods in the United States. “In India, tandoori chicken is an appetizer, but in the U.S., it is an entree; and daal is a side here, but in India, it is a whole meal,” he explains. “Chalk it up to different eating habits.”

Despite these differences, Bindra observes that spicy fried chicken, and its many takes on it, have become all the hype in the states in recent years. “We have seen Korean fried chicken get so popular,” he says, referring to yangnyeom, or chikin, which is typically chicken that is fried before being tossed in a tangy sauce of gochujang, garlic and spices. “Now, Indian spiced fried chicken is in the spotlight.”

Like so many others, Bindra has his own variations of the fiery protein, admittedly relying on a lot of seasonings. “I use whole spices, fresh green chilies, freshly ground garam masala, turmeric powder and Kashmiri red chili powder, which gives it its color,” he shares. His technique involves marinating the meat and letting it rest for an hour before dipping it into a mixture of seasoned flour and water or oil, and then frying it. “Frying the chicken in mustard oil gives it a lot of pungentness.”

The finished product is garnished with thinly sliced radish, chopped cilantro or laccha onion, an onion mix seasoned with citrus and spices. And to add another punch of flavor, the chicken is given a fresh squeeze of lemon and served alongside mint chutney or spiced yogurt for dipping.

Like hot wings with an ice-cold beer or a slice of pizza with a bubbly soda, Indian fried chicken tastes even better when paired up. Nimbu pani, meaning “lemon water” in Hindi, is a sweet and salty refresher, made with fresh squeezed lemon juice, sugar and spices, like cumin and black pepper. Lassi, a spiced yogurt drink that can be made sweet or savory, is also suitable, as its creamy, masala-forward flavor profile complements that of the spiced chicken.

In Houston’s Mahatma Gandhi District, a.k.a. Little India, Indian fried chicken is among the most sought-after items at Indo-Pak restaurant, Himalaya, where it has long been an off-the-menu special. In New York City, super star chefs Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya of Unapologetic Foods (Dhamaka, Adda, and Semma) opened a dedicated Indian fried chicken joint called Rowdy Rooster in the East Village in 2022, followed by a second outpost near Penn Station just last fall.

For his part, Bindra features Indian fried chicken sliders on Amrina’s tapas menu, but he has plans to follow Mazumdar and Pandya’s lead and showcase the dish in all its glory when he opens his own fried chicken restaurant, Pok Pok Po, in Houston’s Midtown neighborhood in the near future.

As the summer gives way to festive backyard cookouts and family gatherings where heaping platters of fried chicken entice, consider spicing things up. Whether it’s an order of Indian fried chicken from your favorite local haunt, or your own variation of a time-honored recipe, surrender yourself to the meat sweats.

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