Inspired by the classic, these Chilli Chicken bites are sure to be a hit at your next party, especially among the tiny tots. Mildly spiced, unlike the name, these are crunchy morsels of deliciousness.
Yet again, food has opened my world to a whole new bunch of friends in Melbourne.
I have been part of a growing food group called Chef at Large on Facebook for quite a while now. A couple of months ago, a bunch of us belonging to the group and residing in Melbourne decided to meet up for a coffee. And the only thing that we knew about each other – food makes our world go around!
And that friendship has blossomed over the months with regular meet-ups, coffees, pot lucks, family gatherings etc….
Our recent meet was a potluck party at a nearby farm where we had a whale of a time sampling each other’s dishes, rambling, laughing….all the good things of life. Apart from all the food and fun, we had also decided to swap an ingredient each and come up with a recipe featuring the same.
I was given the round, dry red chillies, which are hugely popular in the South Indian region. Also known as ‘Gundu Milagu; these chillies are small and round with bright, shiny, deeply red skin. It is extensively used in the Chettinadu style of cooking apart from being used for tempering traditional Indian dishes like dals, sambar and rasam.
Chillies are always looked upon as a source of heat and very rarely, as a source of flavour. When used in the right manner and the right quantities, you can enjoy the flavour profile of each chilli without making the dish fiery or hot. Today’s recipe, chilli chicken bites, is an example….
Chilli chicken is a classic Indian starter but I decided to give it my own twist to make it appealing to all taste buds, especially as a snack for children.
The marinade used for these chilli chicken bites is a medley of red chillies, cumin, fenugreek, cloves and coriander along with aromatics like ginger and garlic. The chicken pieces can be marinated and frozen for upto a month which makes this dish a handy one when you have parties or gatherings. You could also freeze this in small portions and use in lunch box recipes like I do. Sandwiches, wraps, snacks…..my son loves the chilli chicken bites in his lunch box.
So, here’s the recipe for chilli chicken bites – a classic example of why you should love chillies!
Chilli Chicken Bites
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken thigh (boneless); cut into bite sized pieces
- 5-6 dry red chilli soaked in warm water for 15 minutes (it will not be spicy, trust me)
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 inch ginger root peeled
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 5 cloves
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- Salt to taste
- 3-4 cups Panko breadcrumbs for coating (use ordinary breadcrumbs if you wish to)
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Wash and drain the chicken pieces well; keep aside.
- Soak the chillies in warm water for at least 15 minutes.
- Dry roast cumin, fenugreek, cloves and coriander seeds.
- Grind the roasted spices and the softened chillies with a bit of water into a paste.
- Add the paste to the chicken pieces, season with salt and mix well to combine.
- Marinate for at least 3-4 hours, more if possible. If you want to freeze for later use, do it at this stage.
- Heat oil in a deep pan to fry the chicken pieces.
- Coat each chicken piece in the Panko crumbs and fry till golden brown. Drain on a kitchen paper.
- Serve hot with dip of choice.
Notes
Reblogged this on mamabatesmotel.
looks great..got a doubt on the coating…do we have to dip the marinated chicken in egg yolk or so ..then with panko breadcrumbs? or the marinated chicken is wet enough to coat directly with breadcrumbs
Since the chicken pieces have a spice coating which is lightly wet, I did not dip in beaten egg. And I have noticed panko coats well especially if for smaller pieces of chicken. But you can definitely dip in beaten egg if you wish to..no hard and fast rules.
hi
which dip is this? can i get the recipe??
For the dip, I mixed Mongolian spice blend with mayo. You can use any spice blend and mix it with mayo if you cannot find this blend itself.
Delicious, Fabulous recipe, have pinned and Look forward to sharing in The Sunday Brunch Magazine! Bel & Eliza x
awesome; thanks again for this amazing opportunity
So crunchy. What is the dip you served them with?
Your group sounds lovely. Social media opens so many doors, doesn’t it 🙂
oh yes, it does for sure. As for the dip, I recently picked up a Mongolian spice blend from the company ‘Your inspiration at home’ (guess it was at a recent food festival in the city), mix it up with mayo and you get an amazing dip. They do sell a range of blends and marinades.
Hi i am in Melbourne n me n my hubby both r big time foodies. Would love to be a part of the group n meet up. Pls let me know how to join. Thanks
Hi Seema, that’s lovely to hear. We are part of a food group called CAL (Chef at Large) on facebook. Please join us there and then I will connect to our group; will also let you know when we meet up next time.
Hi vanyadhanya. I have joined the group CAL. so how to proceed
we usually have ladies meet ups often and family get togethers once in a while. We are planning a ladies meet in March but dates have not been confirmed yet; will keep you posted and you can join us there. Which suburb do you live in?
Hi Seema, our next ladies meet is on March 15th; we are planning on a market tour followed by lunch. Its going to be the Dandenong Farmers Market at 11.30am. Would you be interested in joining us? Which suburb are you coming from; there are a bunch of girls coming from the city if you live closer to the CBD.
What a lovely concept of you all gathering together, love that! This chicken looks really delicious and ideal as a snack. I like the idea of freezing already marinaded pieces, makes it uber easy. Thanks.
I do it all the time Fergie with different meats and seafood. It is a great time saver for weekdays and with unexpected guests.
Lovely 🙂 I love that you all meet up!
its always fun when food is the topic. Where are you based out of Elaine?
I’m in the UK x
ok….if you ever come down to Mel, do let me know for sure
Thank you x
A very yummy appetizer. I feel like picking one from the screen and eating. 🙂
that’s the best kind of compliment Sadia; hope the little one is keeping you busy.
I love those chicken bites. Crunchy, spicy and delicious.
thanks Maureen
hi can you post the dip recipe as well 😉
that’s no real recipe dear, added Mongolian spice blend (commercial) to mayo. But if I make a blend myself, I will definitely put it up