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Air Fryer Chicken 65

Fiery, crispy South Indian chicken 65 made without deep frying — rice-flour yogurt-marinated chicken air fried golden, finished with a sizzling curry-leaf and garlic tempering.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 29 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken Marinade
  • 1½ lbs 700g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1½-inch pieces
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons rice flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
Curry-Leaf Tempering
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 20–25 fresh curry leaves
  • 6–8 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 2 dried red chilies
  • 2 green chilies slit lengthwise
  • ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder

Method
 

  1. Marinate: whisk yogurt, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, Kashmiri chili, turmeric, garam masala, salt, cumin; coat chicken; refrigerate 30 min–8 hrs.
  2. Coating: stir in beaten egg, sprinkle rice flour and cornstarch; mix to a thick sticky coating; rest 10 minutes.
  3. Air fry at 200°C (400°F) 12–14 min, shaking/flipping halfway, to 165°F (74°C).
  4. Tempering: heat 2 tbsp oil; pop mustard seeds; fry curry leaves, garlic, red and green chilies 30–45 seconds.
  5. Toss hot chicken with the hot tempering; sprinkle extra Kashmiri chili if using.
  6. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, onion rings, mint chutney or raita.

Notes

Don't crowd the air fryer basket — cook in batches for maximum crispness. Pour the tempering hot over hot chicken. Fresh curry leaves are essential for authentic flavor. Re-crisp leftovers in the air fryer, never the microwave.