Chicken 65

Directions

1. Cut the chicken into 1/2” cubes and place in bowl. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste, red chili powder and cornstarch. Whip the egg and add it to the mix.
2. Heat 2” of oil in a pan over medium-high heat and fry the chicken mixture until it’s light golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
3. In a clean pan, heat 2 tsp oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook for about 1 minute. Add the remaining 1 tsp garlic paste and 1 tsp ginger paste and stir for 1 minute. The garlic and ginger will get the oil quite excited, so wear long sleeves and an apron, keep children and hairless animals away and best of luck to you.
4. The garlic and ginger paste will lose some moisture, so add 3-4 tbsp of water to dilute. Now add the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, chopped curry leaves, pepper, ground cumin*, Vietnamese chili-garlic paste and the juice of 1 lime. (Add 2-3 drops of red food coloring, too, if you’re into that.) Fry for 2 minutes.
5. *A quick note about ground cumin: buying ready-made ground cumin is well and good, but to really pack a punch, do the following: Roast whole cumin seeds in a pan for a couple minutes, then grind in a food processor or coffee grinder. It’ll be ten times more aromatic and flavorful.
6. Now eyeball your chicken and eyeball your sauce. You may have to add water bit by bit until the sauce looks just saucy enough to coat the chicken completely. Drop the chicken in and stir to combine. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Allow the chicken to get browner and the moisture to cook off.
7. To serve, top with chopped cilantro and garnish with lime wedges. For extra heat, you can add the sliced green chilies.