Crispy Chicken Koliwada Bites
I have been picking up chicken tenderloins the past few weeks. My usual boneless skinless chicken thighs are in short supply. Based on availability I came up with this healthy version of a classic deep fried appetizer. Instead of coating it in a heavy batter and deep frying it, I settled for air frying it. However, the light coating and classic spices came together in harmony creating a great finger food. Alternately this works as a perky accompaniment to the rest of the meal. The Crispy Chicken Koliwada bites are healthier and something that you will want to enjoy many times over.
More about these Chicken Koliwada Bites
As a general rule, some people just assume that all things Indian entail heavy coated sauces. Often ‘overlooking the whole plethora of these addictive finger foods. All of which is good as both an appetizer or part of a main meal when paired with appropriate condiments. Most of these are usually marinated to tenderness before they are cooked resulting in well seasoned perfection. I find when adapting a recipe for air-frying such as I am doing here we can even go lighter with the coating. Some appetizers from this site are addictive chickpea fries and maple crispy tofu.
These koliwada bites are from the cuisine of Maharastra in Western India.
The traditional version of this recipe uses yogurt, some key spices, and chickpea flour for coating. In this version I use both chickpea flour and a little rice flour. The rice flour add to the crispness of this recipe. If you do not have an air fryer you can either bake this or pan fry it using minimal oil. Done in small batches this is a great candidate for your small air fryer such as the CrispLid or Instant Pot Lid.
You can serve them with green chutney, something I am making a lot of. Thanks to the fresh mint in the garden.
To get the best results for this recipe:
- Do not skimp of the marinating time.
- Do use both chickpea flour and rice flour.
- Avoid a heavy coating with the batter.
- Drizzle and or mist uniformly with the cooking oil.
If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot Facebook group . Of course Instant Indian is a great idea to pick up,right with its siblings The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.
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A well seasoned and crispy chicken bites. These masala bites are quite addictive.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons yogurt
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh ginger
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 3 green chilies
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black salt
- 1 pound of chicken breasts or tenderloins cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons chickpea flour
- 1 tablespoon rice flour
- 1 or 2 tablespoons oil for drizzling
- Sliced Onions, Chopped Cilantro, Lime Wedges to Serve
Instructions
- Place the yogurt, ginger, garlic, and green chilies in a blender and grind to a paste.
- Place in a mixing bowl and stir in the turmeric, cumin, salt, and black salt. Stir in the cubed chicken.
- Marinate the chicken for 2 hours or longer.
- Toss the chicken with marinade with the chickpea flour and rice flour. This will form a light binding.
- Place the cubes in your air fryer basket, drizzle with oil. Cook at 475 degrees for 8 minutes.
- Turn and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. The chicken should be golden and crisp.
- Serve immediately with onion slices, chopped cilantro and lime wedges.