I first discovered Indian food way, way (way) back in the 1980s and I have been hooked on the spicy cuisine ever since then. But in all the time that I have been visiting restaurants that serve the native dishes of that country, I never recall noticing a dish called Chicken 65. Maybe it was because I was too obsessed with the curries and the spicy vindaloo (love me some vindaloo), but somehow that bright red chicken dish (no, it’s not tandoori) never drew my attention. Until just recently.
I happened to stop by Spice Indian Fine Cuisine in San Antonio, Texas to try out their lunch buffet. They have plenty to choose from as far as curries and tandoori chicken and the many vegetable dishes. (Sadly, no vindaloo. Probably too spicy for the buffet crowd.) But one particular selection in the buffet caught my eye that was simply referred to as Chicken 65. It is cut up pieces of chicken in a red sauce and it looked quite tasty, so I piled it on to my already overflowing plate. (I can be dangerous at a buffet!)
As I bit into the first piece, my taste buds came to life upon their introduction to this spicy, savory chicken dish. It has a bright taste with hints of tomato and the richness of chili pepper, though not an assault of heat. (At least not the version on the buffet line which was medium. More on the heat later.) It is sort of like boneless wingettes, though without as much of the tang that you typically get from wings. The chicken is not deep fried, though it is cooked in a fair amount of oil with the sauce added in (but in no way is it greasy). This dish is not heavy on the typical Indian spices, so if you are not particularly fond of that cuisine, you may still like the Chicken 65.
I enjoyed it so much that I decided to get an order to go and, on the prompting of my wife, bumped up the spice to Level 4 (the buffet was Level 3). I tried that later that evening, and Hello Heat! I enjoyed the heat of the Level 3 which I would count as just above medium heat. But the Level 4 really amped things up and took this close to the fiery level. This is a spicy dish and one that burns so good and I highly recommend it to chiliheads. It is actually on the appetizer menu, but it you get this plus an order of naan bread, you are good to go! (And I’m going to give Level 5 a try at some point in the near future.)
I searched out a recipe on the internet and it is really quite a simple dish. It has some spices, but not nearly as much as you usually find in Indian food. And it is actually finished off with ketchup to give it that redness (Indian ketchup tends to be less sweet than what we have here in the States). This is one that I will definitely be cooking on my own, but I will also head back to Spice on a regular basis to get it from those who really know what they are doing!
Spice Indian Fine Cuisine has a location in San Antonio and also in Austin. So if you are not in either of those towns, you will have to plan a trip to come and check the place out. But it is definitely worth it. The sampling of their food that I got from the buffet was first rate, and this is a place that I will get on my regular rotation. Sadly, the buffet was a limited-time-only dealy, but they have an extensive menu that includes beef, lamb, chicken, goat, seafood, and vegetable dishes, and they are set up for easy online ordering. You can visit their website here, and be sure to stop by and partake of their excellent food if you are in the area.