Payyoli is a small town on the Malabar Coast in Kerala, South India, and this dish carries its name proudly. Payyoli chicken fry is a dry-fried chicken recipe built on two contrasting chillies — smoky, deep-red dried Kashmiri chillies from the far north of India and fresh green chillies from wherever you can find them. Coconut brings everything together. The result is fragrant, fiery, and unlike anything you will find in a British Indian restaurant.
Payyoli Chicken Fry – The Flexible Chef
I first made this for friends. More turned up than expected — as they do in rural Andalucía — and there is no Tesco Express in my village. I bulked it out with whatever vegetables were to hand, and it worked perfectly. That flexibility is now part of the recipe.
Payyoli Chicken Fry – The Recipe
- 500g chicken thighs
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 8 dried Kashmiri chillies
- 250ml grated coconut
- 4 green chillies, sliced
- Few curry leaves
- Vegetable oil
- Sea salt
Rehydrate the dried Kashmiri chillies in hot water, then grind to a paste. Make a ginger and garlic paste in a pestle and mortar.
Marinate the chicken thighs in salt, three-quarters of the chilli paste, lemon juice, and half of the ginger and garlic paste. Set aside in the fridge for one hour.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat with a good glug of oil. Add the chicken, cover, and cook both sides until golden. Set aside and keep warm.
Combine the remaining chilli paste, the rest of the ginger and garlic paste, coconut, turmeric, green chillies, and curry leaves. Fry in the same pan for a minute or two, then pour over the chicken.
If you need to feed more people than expected, add vegetables — courgette, peppers, and green beans all work well. There is no Tesco Express in Monte Lope Álvarez, but there is always something in the kitchen.
This recipe is part of my Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas – The Flexible Chef's Complete Collection and my Curry Recipes – The Flexible Chef's Complete Collection.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef
