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United States, Americas · Buttermilk Southern Fried Chicken

Masala Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Mint Raita

Southern fried chicken meets Indian spice: boneless thighs marinated in masala buttermilk, fried crisp with curry leaves and served with cool cucumber-mint raita.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time45 min
Marinating+ 3 h
DifficultyMedium
About servingsThis recipe uses hot oil, and the curry leaves spit when they hit it. Never leave the pot unattended; if the oil catches fire, turn off the heat and cover it with the lid, never use water.

Method

  1. Cut each thigh into 2 or 3 pieces of about 5 cm. Grate the garlic and ginger and whisk them with the buttermilk, yogurt, salt, Kashmiri chili, garam masala and turmeric. Add the chicken, mix well, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours (no longer, or the acid makes the surface mushy).

    Add in this stepBoneless, skinless chicken thighs 500 gGarlic cloves 2Fresh ginger, grated 2 tspButtermilk 200 mlPlain yogurt 3 tbspSalt (for the marinade) 5 gKashmiri chili powder 1 tspGaram masala 1 tspGround turmeric ½ tsp

  2. Raita: grate the cucumber, squeeze out the water with your hands and mix it with the yogurt, chopped mint, ground cumin and salt; chill. Slice the red onion into thin rings and soak them in cold water so they turn crisp and mild. Cut the lime into wedges.

    Add in this stepPlain yogurt (for the raita) 160 gCucumber 80 gMint leaves 2 tbspGround cumin (for the raita) 2 pinchSalt (for the raita) 1 pinchRed onion ½Lime 1

  3. Mix the flour, cornstarch, cumin and salt in a wide bowl. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, let the excess drip off for a moment, and press each piece firmly into the flour until fully coated. Shake off the loose flour and lay the pieces on a wire rack while the oil heats. Wash your hands after handling raw chicken.

    Add in this stepAll-purpose flour 90 gCornstarch 4 tbspGround cumin 1 tspSalt (for the dredge) ¾ tsp

  4. Pour the oil into a heavy 20 cm pot, at least 4 cm deep and no more than half full. Heat over medium-high heat for about , to 175°C. Pat the curry leaves completely dry, stand back and drop them in: they spit loudly. After 10 to 15 seconds, when they turn crisp and glassy, lift them out with a slotted spoon onto paper towels. Keep the lid within reach and water away from the oil.

    Add in this stepNeutral oil for frying 1 LCurry leaves 10

    medium-high heat

  5. Fry in 2 batch(es), lowering the pieces in one at a time away from you, without crowding. Keep the oil at 165–170°C over about medium-high heat. Fry for per batch, turning once or twice, until deep golden and crisp. Boneless pieces cook fast, so check the largest one: it must read at least 74°C in the center, or show no pink and clear juices when cut. Let the oil come back to 175°C between batches.

    medium-high heat

  6. Drain on a wire rack for . Toss with the fried curry leaves and a pinch of Kashmiri chili, scatter over the drained onion rings and serve with lime wedges and the cold raita.

Cook's tip

Kashmiri chili gives a deep red color with only mild heat; swap half of it for cayenne if you like it hot. Bone-in pieces also work, but fry them for 12 to 14 minutes at 160–165°C until they read 74°C by the bone. No buttermilk: use 3 parts plain yogurt to 1 part water.

Cooking it at camp

Marinate at home and carry the chicken in the cooler below 4°C. Boneless pieces shallow-fry well at camp: use a deep cast-iron skillet with 2 cm of oil on a low, stable two-burner stove, turning them every 2 minutes, and check for 74°C. The raita keeps chilled in the cooler for a day.