Spicy Fried Chicken (Chicken Poriyel/Ayam goreng Berempah)
This dish is similar to “Chicken 65” – a spicy Indian dish. It is quite a popular dish amongst all Malaysians. It is best served with rice but can be eaten alone without any accompaniment, as it’s that unbelievably tasty!
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients:
- 1 medium sized chicken – cut small or medium sizes (skinned or skinless is according to preference).
Marinade
- *Plain chilli powder – 1 Tablespoon (according to taste)
- Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
- Fennel seeds, crushed – 1 tablespoon
- Black pepper powder – 2 teaspoons
- Ginger garlic paste coarsely ground – 1 tablespoon (optional)
- Salt to taste
- sugar – 2 teaspoons
- Big Bombay onions, sliced finely – ½ kg.
- Curry leaves, torn coarsely – 2 to 3 sprigs
- Baking powder – 2 teaspoons
- Cornflour – 2 tablespoons
Method:
- Sprinkle roughly 1 teaspoon of turmeric to the chicken and wash thoroughly.
- Drain well, pat dry, add enough salt and the marinade.
- Leave it for at least 1 hour or best overnight in the refrigerator, but omit the onions, baking powder, curry leaves and the cornflour until about to fry.
- Deep fry in a deep pan until crispy.
- The flame should be hot first, then medium and finally low. You can cover with a lid so that the chicken is well cooked.
- Whilst frying, the onions tend to stick to the chicken. So remove the onions and push them to the oil with a spatula, before it turns golden brown.
- Remove the golden brown onions, as much as you can. Continue frying the chicken.
- Stir the chicken often so that it is golden brown and not burnt.
- When done and the chicken is turning golden brown, switch off the flame and remove them.
- You can fry some whole curry leaves in the hot oil until crispy. Remove them and add to the fried chicken for extra flavour.
Note:
- Take care not to burn the onions as they fry earlier. Keep an eye on the flame!
- Variation for the marinade: You can add – 4 stalks of crushed or coarsely ground lemon grass for fragrant fried chicken