This super-spicy & super-tasty Andhra style chicken fry makes me nostalgic as it was one of my favorite dishes when we were in Hyderabad 13 years ago! These spicy bites of tender chicken are a must try if you haven’t yet already!
After sharing one global recipe from the land of Greece, it’s time to be back home! And that’s why I am ready with a very delicious recipe from the heart of Indian cuisine to win your heart and make you fall in love with Indian food if you haven’t already!
Today’s recipe of Andhra chicken fry takes me back to our days in Hyderabad where we tasted all the scrumptious delicacies from the popular Andhra cuisine and fell in love with it hopelessly! Especially the chicken preparations!
Since we, my better half and I, both love spicy food a lot, these dishes delighted us very easily. One such dish which is full of nostalgia is this boneless Andhra chicken fry!
Our blog didn’t exist at that time, so I never bothered to find out its recipe back then. But it was so ingrained in my subconscious mind that I had to find it and recreate it in my kitchen now that I have a running food blog!
And Thank God I did! Food tastes better when you have fragments of memories attached to it, right?
What is Andhra Style Chicken Fry?
Andhra style chicken fry is a spicy masala chicken which is cooked to perfection with all flavorful spices. This is a dry spice-coated preparation where the masalas cling to the chicken pieces.
Andhra food is known to be spicy and it is not at all for the faint-hearted; trust me when I say this! The one we used to order was much spicier than what I made in my kitchen.
Good thing is you can always customize dishes as per your tastes and preferences when you make it at home. Feel free to increase or decrease the quantity of green chilies. You can also use a spicier variety of chillies to make it extra-hot!
This Andhra style chicken fry is best served as an appetizer and is a great option as a finger food in any party! Carry it in your next potluck and your friends will root for you!
Alternatively, you can make a meal out of it by wrapping it up with some onion-cucumber salad and a drizzle of hot sauce in a wholewheat phulka i.e. Indian flat bread and have your healthy lunch on the go!
Ingredients for Andhra Style Chicken Fry
Chicken: To make this spicy Andhra style chicken fry, you can use either boneless & skinless chicken thighs cut into medium pieces or bone-in curry cut pieces of medium size. I used boneless thighs as I wanted to recreate the taste of the same dish that we used to devour when we were in Hyderabad!
Onion: The base of this dish is onion which helps the spices and aromatics cling to the chicken pieces. I have used a generous amount of onions as you can see from the video.
Ginger & Garlic paste: The must have aromatics for any Indian spiced chicken recipe and same is the case for this Andhra style chicken fry. Use a good amount of each to lend a beautiful aroma to your chicken.
Curry leaves: I call this one the star of the dish because curry leaves are what gives this chicken fry the typical Andhra touch! Use as many fresh bunches of curry leaves as you like!
Green chilli: Andhra dishes are always on the spicier side and so is the case of this Andhra style chicken fry. Use those spicy green chillies to give it the authentic spicy kick; but of course adjust the amount based on your tolerance of level of heat.
Powdered spices: To spice up your Andhra chicken fry, you will need turmeric powder, regular hot red chilli powder and coriander powder. Since this is a spicy dish, instead of Kashmiri chilli powder, I used the regular one as it imparts a good amount of heat.
Black pepper: Black pepper is key to any South Indian delicacies. You can finish off your dish by sprinkling freshly crushed black pepper before serving to give out a very earthy yet subtle note of warmth.
Salt: Season your Andhra style chicken fry with salt to taste.
Vegetable oil: You can use any flavorless oil to cook your chicken fry. I used flavorless refined canola oil. Mustard oil or olive oil would not be a good fit for this recipe.
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish: Sprinkle freshly chopped coriander leaves to add a burst of freshness while serving!
How to make Andhra Style Chicken Fry?
Check out the step by step recipe of this mouth watering south indian delicacy!
Step 1: Wash the chicken and drain out all excess water. If you are using chicken thighs, cut them into small bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch of length. You may also use small bone-in curry cut pieces.
Step 2: Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chopped onion and green chillies. Saute on medium for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Sprinkle the fresh curry leaves and continue sauteing the onion on medium until it turns translucent and light golden. It would take about 6 to 8 minutes on medium-low heat.
Step 4: Now add ginger paste & garlic paste. Saute them with onion until the raw smell is gone and the onion turns golden brown; it would take about 5 mins on medium heat.
Step 5: Next add the chicken pieces and stir them in to mix with onion mixture. Also sprinkle all the powdered spices – turmeric, chilli and coriander powder. Add salt to taste.
Step 6: Mix everything evenly by giving a good stir. Continue sauteing the chicken on medium heat making sure all chicken pieces are evenly coated with spices.
Step 7: Reduce the heat to minimum and cover the skillet. Let the chicken cook in its own steam for 15 minutes; stir once after every 5 mins to ensure spices do not stick to the pan.
Step 8: After about 15 mins, remove the cover. Chicken should have been completely cooked by now and should start releasing oil. You don’t need to add any additional water as this is a dry dish with the masalas clinging to the chicken pieces.
Step 9: Sprinkle freshly crushed black pepper powder and give one final mix. Black pepper added at the end imparts a very nice peppery kick to the chicken.
Step 10: Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and mix in well. Andhra style chicken fry is ready! Serve it as an appetizer or with chapati! Enjoy!
More tasty appetizer recipe from Flavor Quotient
- Chicken thighs - 500 gms, boneless & skinless
- Onion - 2, large, finely chopped
- Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
- Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
- Curry leaves - 7 to 8 sprigs
- Green chilli - 4, halved
- Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
- Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
- Coriander powder - 2 tsp
- Freshly crushed black pepper - 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Vegetable oil - 4 tbsp
- Fresh coriander leaves to garnish
- Cut chicken thighs into small bite-sized pieces. You may also use small bone-in curry cut pieces.
- Heat oil in a skillet. Add chopped onion and green chillies. Saute on medium for 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle curry leaves and continue sauteing onion on medium until it turns light golden.
- Add ginger paste and garlic paste and saute them with onion. Let the onion turn golden brown; it would take about 5 mins on medium.
- Now add the chicken pieces and stir them in to mix with onion mixture.
- Add all the powdered spices - turmeric, chilli and coriander powder. Add salt to taste.
- Continue sauteing the chicken on medium making sure all chicken pieces are evenly coated with spices.
- Reduce the heat to minimum and cover the skillet. Let the chicken cook for 15 minutes, stir once after every 5 mins to ensure spices do not stick to the pan. Do not add any additional water.
- After about 15 mins, remove the cover. Chicken should have been completely cooked by now and oil should have started releasing.
- Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and give one final stir. Dry Andhra style chicken fry is ready!
- Serve it as an appetizer or with chapati! Enjoy!
Surely going to make this….
Thank you very much!