Chilli Chicken – Trivandrum Open House Restaurant Style

Open House Restaurant in Trivandrum is famous for its chilli chicken. My instagram friend Kailas Sivaraj’s family had the privilege of the cook from Open House demonstrate the restaurant chilly chicken at their home, in 2005. I made a few changes to the original recipe depending on my taste preference. The recipe doesn’t call for ginger and garlic, but I prefer to add them and I also added chicken stock instead of water. Bone-in chicken works best for this recipe. It hands down is one of the best tasting chilli chicken I have tasted so far! Hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients (Serves 4 – 5)

Recipe courtesy – Kailas Sivaraj

1) Whole chicken – Around 1 kg, cut into small pieces

2) All purpose flour – 1 tbsp

Corn flour / corn starch – 2 tbsp

Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp (The original recipe doesn’t call for ginger-garlic paste)

Kashmiri chilly powder – 1 tbsp

Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Soy sauce – 1 tbsp

Chilly sauce – 1 tbsp

Tomato ketchup – 1 tbsp

Egg – 1

Salt – To taste

3) Onion – 1 large (About 2.5 – 3 cups), thinly sliced (preferred) or finely chopped

Ginger – 1 tsp, minced (optional)

Garlic – 2 tsp, finely chopped (optional)

4)  Green chilies – 4 – 5, diagonally sliced

Kashmiri chilly powder – 3/4 tsp

Pepper powder – 1/4 tsp

5)  Soy sauce –  1 tbsp

Chilli sauce, red or green – 1 tbsp (I recommend adding Ching’s secret green chilli sauce)

Tomato ketchup – 1.5 tbsp

Sugar – 1 pinch

Vinegar – 1/4 tsp

6) Chicken stock / water – 1.5 cup

7) Corn flour / corn starch – 1 tsp dissolved in 2 – 3 tbsp water (optional)

8) Salt – To taste

9) Oil – To deep or shallow fry

10) Spring onion (green part) – 2 tbsp, to garnish (optional)

Method

1. Add all the ingredients numbered 2 to the chicken pieces and mix everything well. Set aside for 20 minutes. Deep fry the chicken pieces until they turn golden brown and completely cooked through. Do not overcook them, they will be done in 6– 7 minutes. Drain on to a paper towel and set aside.
2. Heat 1.5 – 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan. Add finely chopped onion and saute until translucent. Add ginger, garlic and continue sauteing until onion begins to change color a bit. Add kashmiri chilly powder and cook for 30 seconds over low heat until the raw taste and smell is gone. Now add all the ingredients numbered 5 and mix well. Cook for 30 seconds. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Taste-check for salt. Add corn flour in water (number 7). Mix well. Finally add in the fried chicken pieces. Mix everything well. Add pepper powder, salt to taste or more of the sauces, if required. Cover and cook for 2 – 3 minutes over low heat. Switch off the flame. Garnish with chopped spring onion.  Serve hot chilli chicken with porotta/fried rice/noodles.

Tip

Be careful while adding salt, as the sauces are already salty.