Parsi-style fried chicken (Murghi na faarcha)
Cyrus Todiwala gives fried chicken a spicy, fragrant twist.
Ingredients
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4cm/2in piece fresh ginger
- small bunch fresh coriander
- 3 green chillies
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1 lime, juice only
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 chicken thighs, boneless, skin removed, cut into small pieces
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 3 free-range eggs
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú breadcrumbs
- vegetbale oil for deep fat frying
Method
Place the garlic, ginger, chillis, cumin seeds, onion, lime juice and salt in a blender and blitz to a smooth paste. Add a little vegetable oil if needed.
Put the chicken pieces in a bowl and pour the marinade over them then mix to coat well, cover with cling film and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour, overnight if possible.
Fill a deep-fat fryer or a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan two-thirds full with the oil. Heat to 180C (a cube of bread should turn brown in one minute when dropped in.)
Break one egg into the chicken bowl and mix well. Separate the remaining eggs and add the yolks to the chicken and mix again. Place the egg whites in a separate clean bowl.
Add the flour to the chicken mixture a little at a time until the chicken coating is thick but still sticky.
Roll the chicken pieces in the breadcrumbs to coat well.
Beat the egg whites until just frothy, not too stiff, then dip each chicken piece in to coat before deef-frying for 5–7 minutes or until golden-brown and cooked through. Drain the chicken pieces on kitchen paper.
Serve with a flavoured mayonnaise.