I don’t think Kerala fried chicken is anything you can get in India. I’ve never seen on an Indian restaurant menu. But I did see it on Ugly Delicious. This is the brain child of Asha Gomez. And it’s brilliant. I’d never heard of it. But if it’s good enough for David Chang…
Kerala fried chicken is an Indian twist on a classic
Fried chicken is my guilty pleasure. So as soon as I saw this I had to try to figure it out. Wound up eating way too much fried chicken. Made my house stink like a deep fryer. But it was worth it. So worth it. It’s incredible. Ms. Gomez is inspired. This is crispy like great southern fried chicken. It’s got that juicy buttermilk brined thing going on. But it has a big Indian tastes too. Not fusion. More like a mash up. And there’s a bit of fire too. A nod to Nashville hot chicken.
It wasn’t easy to figure out. There’s a few recipes scattered around online. Some clues. But they don’t line up with what I saw on Ugly Delicious. And I figure Asha Gomez talking to David Chang was more credible than adapted from a book by Bon Appetit. So I watched that bit of the episode about 20 times. Thought about everything she said. Little hints. Clues. More garlic. Big taste of ginger. Chili powder and garam masala to finish. And this is what I came up with.
Mint coriander chutney buttermilk brine
It’s a variation on mint coriander chutney mixed with buttermilk. That’s the big secret. I managed to get the proportions close by matching the colour of the brine on the show. Indian spices in the flour dredge. That wasn’t so hard to figure out. Boneless skinless chicken thighs. Only ever boneless skinless chicken thighs according to Asha Gomez. And the final touch. A dusting of garam masala and kashmiri chili powder on the finished product. Thanks again Ugly Delicious. I’ll never know if I got it right. Her restaurant is closed now. Sad. But at least I have this. And so do you. KFC. First there was Kentucky. Then came Korean. Now there’s Kerala fried chicken. Kentucky is not my favourite. But it’s a real toss up between Korean and Kerala.
