Some evenings call for chicken wings; their association with game nights is undeniable. With my husband truly excited about Super Bowl, we are all set to chow down on a giant bowl of Buffalo wings. That said, this time around, I am making my Buffalo wings with a bit of a twist; I am zhuzhing them up with lots of my favourite spices and herbs and getting them close to Bangalore style fried chicken kababs, one of my favourite Indian chicken dishes. Spicy with a hint of sweet, these wings are oven-baked until delightfully crisp and tossed with a fiery glaze that’s infused with lots of spices, aromatics and herbs leaving them wonderfully familiar and yet, delightfully unexpected.

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

Chicken and the dry rub

• 950- grams -1 kilo of chicken wings
• 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
• 1tsp of coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
• Zest from a lime
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika powder
• 1/2 tbsp of onion powder
• 1/2 tbsp of baking powder
• 2-2.5 tbsp cornflour

Spicy glaze

• 30-40 grams of butter
• 1 sq. inch piece of ginger, minced
• 5-8 curry leaves; add about 2-3 if you are using fresh leaves
• 4-6 shallots, finely sliced; feel free to use a brown onion instead
• 3-4 clove of garlic, finely sliced
• 1/4 tsp of garam masala
• 3 tbsp of hot sauce
• 1.5 tbsp of honey
• A generous amount of chives, finely sliced
• A generous amount of coriander leaves, finely sliced

Method

• Preheat the oven at 200 C fan with grill.
• Prepare the wings by separating the drumettes and flats.
• Place a flat based pan over medium heat and add in whole cumin seeds and coriander seeds.
• Carefully sauté the whole spices for about a couple of minutes over medium heat until fragrant and lightly toasted; be sure to keep an eye on them as they can burn quite quickly.
• Grind them coarsely and add to a dry bowl along with the rest of the ingredients listed under dry rub and mix well.
• Pour over the chicken wings and combine ensuring all the pieces are well coated.
• Place on a lined baking sheet without overcrowding and bake uncovered in the middle of the pan for 20 minutes.
• After the first 20 minutes, turn the pieces and bake for another 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a pan over medium heat and add in the butter and the minced ginger and stir to melt the butter.
• Add sliced garlic and curry leaves and sauté until aromatic.
• Add in sliced shallots or brown onions and sauté until softened and golden at the edges.
• Add in the garam masala and sauté for about 30 seconds until aromatic.
• Pour in the hot sauce and stir to combine.
• Drizzle in the honey and once combined, take it off the heat; now the curried hot sauce is ready.
• Once the wings are ready, add them to the sauce, throw in the coriander and chives and toss to coat well.
• Garnish with more chopped herbs and serve with fries and crudités and enjoy !