Masala Fried Chicken (Air Fried)
This Masala Fried Chicken is the state of our household today. This masala fried chicken is an adaptation of the fried chicken found in the southern state of Kerala. I have simplified the recipe a little. And lightened it up a lot!
I made this using the an air fryer. This new compact air fryer is so much fun! I have a new e-book featuring my exploits. It is a short stack, but does have a fun assortment of recipes. Masala as we know is spice, and yes, this fried chicken includes a lot of flavorful spices. Enough to tantalize all your taste buds. If you are not squeamish about frying, this can be shallow or deep fried as well.
My Masala Fried Chicken Story
It is soaked in buttermilk and herbs overnight making this quite exceptionally flavorful. I have tinkered with the recipe a few times to get this to where I want it. I started with a typical buttermilk brine and flour dredging. That works but I then wanted some more spice action. So I welcome ginger, garlic, and cayenne into the game.
And then some cracked black pepper. Actually, a lot of cracked black pepper. The black pepper is added to the crust. I like the texture. This does give the crust a few black spots here and there. If you do not like the sound of these crisp and grainy bites of spice explosion grind the black pepper finely. If you are on the fence try the coarsely ground black pepper.
More about the crust
So then I make the crust healthier by adding powdered oatmeal. Well, the good news is that the oatmeal does more than just make the recipe healthy, it adds a nice dose of crunch to the chicken. Currently polling high the family polling ratings. Once coated, this takes about 18 minutes to cook. I have tried the same thing with fish, works like a charm, but with a shorter cooking time.
This fourth is a quite one for me. But, I am happy with eating good food and watching out local fireworks. It is also fun, to look at little kids in the neighborhood finding their share of sparklers. That and splashing around the kiddie pool.
So these can be enjoyed as sandwiches. It can be enjoyed as finger food. As she says here, once you fry the chicken the ball is in your court. You can use this chicken as a substitute in this recipe for Chicken Tikka Pizza and for another lighter air fryer recipe check out these air fryer samosas.
A healthier take on classic Indian Masala Fried Chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 inch piece peeled ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 green Serrano chilies
- 8 to 10 curry leaves (optional, but adds a nice depth of flavor)
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup rice flour (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- Oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Cut the thighs into halves, trim any extra fat and if needed pound to flatten the pieces a little.
- Set in a mixing bowl.
- Place the buttermilk, ginger, garlic, chilies, salt and cilantro leaves in a food processor and blender until smooth. There will be a tiny amount of texture which is OK.
- Pour over the chicken, cover and marinate for a few hours or overnight.
- In a food processor add the rolled oats and peppercorns and process until the oats are finely processed. Mix in the rice flour and the all purpose flour.
- Dredge the chicken pieces in this mixture until well coated and dry to touch. Shake any excess flour dry.
- Place in your air fryer basket. If using the CrispLid like me, place the trivet in the steel pressure cooker insert. Place the stainless steel air fryer basket over the trivet. Place the chicken pieces in a single layer. I did this in two batches.
- Drizzle with oil.
- Cook at 450 degrees for 8 minutes and turn and cook for another 8 minutes. Remove and cook with the second batch.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
1. To keep this recipe gluten-free you can swap the all-purpose flour with rice flour. 2. If you do not have rice flour you can use all all purpose flour. 3. For a richer taste, drizzle with coconut oil.