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Chicken

Rowdy Rooster Fried Chicken Sandwiches

These delightfully crispy, unforgettably delicious fried chicken sandwiches come from 2022 F&W Game Changer Chintan Pandya — the chef behind popular New York City Indian restaurants Dhamaka, Adda, Semma, and Rowdy Rooster.

Ingredients:

  • 10 (about 3 1/2 pounds total) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces) white vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons (4 ounces) ginger-garlic paste, divided
  • 5 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
  • 2 cups (about 8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups (about 6 3/4 ounces) cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons black pepper
  • 3 cups roughly chopped fresh mint
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped red onion (from 1 small [2 ounces] onion)
  • 1/4 cup water, plus up to 1/3 cup more water as needed
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped (and seeded, if desired) fresh indian green chiles or thai green chiles (from 4 medium [1/2 ounces total] chiles)
  • 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh ginger
  • 6 cups roughly chopped fresh cilantro, divided
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 medium [4 ounces] lemon)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon amchur (unripe mango powder)
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 medium-size (9 ounces) red onion, thinly sliced crosswise into half-moons
  • 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 (5-ounce) bunch scallions, trimmed and finely chopped (1 1/3 cups)
  • peanut oil
  • 2 cups (16 ounces) salted butter
  • 1/3 cup chaat masala
  • 1/3 cup kashmiri chili powder
  • 10 kaiser rolls or brioche-style hamburger buns, split

Directions:

  • Cut each chicken thigh lengthwise into 3 equal pieces. Stir together vinegar, 3 tablespoons of the ginger-garlic paste, and 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt in a large bowl. Add chicken, and stir to coat. Marinate chicken, covered, in refrigerator for 45 minutes.
  • Process mint, onion, water, chiles, ginger, and 3 cups of the cilantro in a blender until almost smooth, about 1 minute, adding additional water, 1 tablespoonful at a time, as needed to loosen mixture, and stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add remaining 3 cups cilantro; process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer chutney to a medium bowl. Stir in lemon juice, sugar, and kosher salt. Mint Chutney may be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 days.
  • Stir together 1 1/4 cups yogurt, 1/4 cup chili powder, garam masala, turmeric, 2 tablespoons of the kosher salt, and remaining 3 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste in a separate large bowl; whisk until combined. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess liquid, and transfer to yogurt mixture, coating pieces evenly. Cover and marinate chicken in refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours.
  • Stir together amchur, hot chili powder, and sea salt in a small bowl. Spread onion slices evenly on a large baking sheet, and sprinkle evenly with amchur mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Amchur Onions can be stored in refrigerator up to 2 days.
  • Stir together yogurt and scallions in a medium bowl until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. Scallion Yogurt can be stored in refrigerator up to 2 days.
  • Whisk together flour, cornstarch, pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons kosher salt in a 9- x 13-inch dish or other large shallow dish. Remove chicken pieces, 1 at a time, from marinade, shaking off excess. Place in flour mixture, turning to coat both sides of chicken; transfer to a baking sheet.
  • Pour peanut oil into a large pot to a depth of 2 inches, and heat over medium to 325°F. Working in 3 batches, add chicken to oil, and fry until lightly browned, about 6 minutes per batch. Remove chicken from oil, and transfer to a baking sheet lined with a wire rack.
  • Increase heat under oil to medium-high; heat oil to 400°F. Working in 3 batches, fry chicken a second time until deeply brown and crispy, 2 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to wire rack.
  • Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium. Add chaat masala and Kashmiri chili powder, and stir until combined. Dip each piece of chicken into butter mixture, making sure chicken is coated in spices; allow excess butter to drip off. Arrange chicken pieces evenly on bottom bun halves. Top evenly with Mint Chutney, Scallion Yogurt, and Amchur Onions; replace top bun halves, and serve.