Air Fryer Chicken 65 (Gluten-Free)

• 1 1/2 lbboneless chicken thighs — cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cupplain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 1/2 tbspKashmiri chili powder — the color and the warmth; sub 2 tsp paprika + 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tbspginger-garlic paste — or 4 cloves garlic + 1 inch ginger, grated
• 1 tspgaram masala
• 1/2 tspground turmeric
• 1 1/4 tspfine sea salt
• 1/3 cuprice flour — the gluten-free crunch — this is traditional, not a substitution
• 2 tbspneutral oil — divided
• 15fresh curry leaves — worth hunting down — there is no substitute, only absence
• 2green chilies — slit lengthwise
• 1lemon — wedged, to serve

Method

1. 01

   Whisk the yogurt with the chili powder, ginger-garlic, garam masala, turmeric, and salt. Fold in the chicken and marinate 1 hour minimum, up to overnight — the yogurt's lactic acid is doing real tenderizing work, not just flavoring.

2. 02

   Lift the chicken from the marinade without wiping it clean, and toss with the rice flour until every piece wears a tacky red coat. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and toss again.

3. 03

   Air fry at 390°F on a perforated liner in a single layer, 12–14 minutes, flipping once, until lacquered deep red with charred edges and 175°F inside — thighs reward the extra degrees.

4. 04

   Meanwhile, warm the last tablespoon of oil in a small pan and crackle the curry leaves and green chilies in it for 30 seconds until glossy and fragrant.

5. 05

   Toss the hot chicken with the curry-leaf oil, leaves, and chilies. Serve immediately with lemon wedges — this is a dish with a ten-minute peak, which is why it belongs to bars and not banquets.