Chicken Wing Day: Follow these recipes to indulge in delicious variations of Korean Fried Wings

We can all agree that Chicken wings are delicious and with the Korean wave taking over India in the last few years, it is only getting better with mouth-watering classic Korean fried chicken wings. Traditionally made with seasoning like salt and sugar, the chicken wings are marinated with buttermilk, and then dredged with potato starch before being spiced and fried again. Beyond that, Korean BBQ chicken wings are only making people relish delicious chicken wings now more than ever before.

Every year, International Chicken Wing Day is celebrated on July 1 around the world and followed by National Chicken Wing is celebrated on July 29 in the USA to enjoy the goodness of chicken wings. Interestingly, the popularity of chicken and chicken wings around the globe has made people enjoy different flavours in their own cities. Apart from the popular Buffalo chicken wings, Korean chicken wings are one of the many variations that have also evolved over time.

With the popularity of fried chicken wings and the Korean wave, mid-day.com spoke to Indian chefs and asked them to share their favourite variations of Korean chicken wings. They not only share recipes which have a plum glaze but also sweet and sour flavours with pineapples, and others that include Maharashtrian and Tamilian flavours.

Korean Sticky Plum Glazed Chicken Wings
Giving a seasonal twist to the classic Korean fried chicken wings, Chef Rahul Desai, culinary director of Keish Hospitality Pvt Ltd, S P Motels, that runs The Thane Club, says you can make a delicious Korean Sticky Plum Glazed Chicken Wings. For the dish that is served at Magna Bar & Kitchen in the club, he explains, "This is a unique variation because the sweet and tangy plum glaze complements the spicy kick from the gochujang and the umami flavour from the soy sauce and sesame oil."

Ingredients:
Chicken wings 1 kg
Salt and pepper to taste
Soy sauce 1/2 cup
Honey 1/4 cup
Gochujang (Korean chili paste) 2 tbsp
Rice vinegar 2 tbsp
Garlic cloves, minced 3 nos
Grated ginger 1 tsp
Sesame oil 1 tbsp
Plum sauce 1/2 cup
Apple juice 1/4 cup
Green onions, thinly sliced
Toasted sesame seeds 2 gm
Vegetable oil

Method:
Marinate the wings:
1. In a bowl, season the chicken wings with salt and pepper.
2. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, gochujang, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Mix well.
3. Pour half of the marinade over the wings, reserving the other half for later use. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best results.
Prepare the plum glaze:
1. In a small saucepan, combine the plum sauce and apple juice. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the jam is melted, and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
Fry the wings:
1. Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer (175 degrees Celsius).
2. Remove the marinated wings from the refrigerator. Fry in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 8-10 minutes per batch. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Glaze the wings:
1. In a large mixing bowl, toss the fried wings with the reserved marinade and half of the plum glaze until well coated.
Serve:
1. Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

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Sweet and Sour Korean Chicken Wings with Pineapple
Chef Ruffy Shaikh, senior sous chef at ITC Grand Central in Parel says you can take your love for chicken wings to the next level by not only making Korean chicken wings but giving it sweet and sour flavours with some pineapple too. Shaikh suggests frying the chicken wings golden brown before making a delicious sauce out of pineapple juice, gochujang, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce, coating the fried chicken with it. The city chef promises that the innovation is one anybody will love, especially if you love Korean fried chicken wings.

Ingredients:
Chicken wings Approximately 1 kilo
Cornstarch 1/2 cup
All-purpose flour 1/2 cup
Salt 1 tsp
Pineapple juice 1/2 cup
Gochujang 1/4 cup
Soy sauce 1/4 cup
Rice vinegar 1/4 cup
Honey 1/4 cup
Minced garlic 2 cloves
Minced ginger 1 tbsp
Pineapple chunks 1 cup
Sliced green onions for garnish
Sesame Seeds for Garnish

Method:
1. In a large bowl, stir flour, cornflour, and salt together.
2. Coat the flour mixture to the chicken wings.
3. In a big pot or deep fryer, heat the vegetable oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
4. Chicken wings should be fried in batches for 8 to 10 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
5. Put the pineapple juice, gochujang, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce in a pot.
6. Boil and then simmer until just beginning to thicken.
7. Cook the pineapple pieces in the sauce for a further two to three minutes.
8. Coat the fried chicken wings completely with sauce by tossing them in it.
9. Before serving, garnish with sliced green onions.

Thecha Chicken Wings
Bringing together the best of both worlds right on your plate in Mumbai, chef Ashish Kadam, chef de cuisine, Novotel Mumbai International Airport, wants you to experiment with your fried chicken wings using Maharashtrian flavours to create Thecha Chicken Wings. He explains, "Thecha chicken wings redefine traditional flavours with a spicy twist. Combining the robust heat of Maharashtrian thecha paste with tender, marinated wings result in a dish that's bold, flavourful, and irresistibly crispy. Perfect for any occasion, these wings promise to impress with every bite, showcasing the fusion of vibrant spices and culinary innovation."

Ingredients:
For thecha:
Kashmiri chillies, red 10-12 dried
Garlic cloves 8-10 nos
Roasted peanuts 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds 1 tbsp
Salt (adjust to taste) 1/2 tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Lemon juice (optional) 1 tbsp
For chicken wings marination:
Chicken wings 1 kg
Lemon juice 1 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Red chili powder (optional) 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Prepare the chillies: Remove stems from the dried red chilies. Optionally, deseed them to reduce spiciness.
2. Roast ingredients: Dry roast red chilies in a pan until slightly dark and aromatic. Add garlic cloves and roast until they get brown spots. Then add cumin seeds and roast until fragrant.
3. Blend: In a blender, combine roasted chilies, garlic, cumin seeds, roasted peanuts, salt, and lemon juice (if using). Grind into a coarse paste.
4. Temper: Heat oil in a pan, add the ground mixture, and sauté for a couple of minutes to blend flavours. Remove from heat and let it cool.
5. Marinate chicken wings: In a bowl, combine chicken wings with thecha, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder (if using), cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, and oil. Mix well to coat the wings evenly. Marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit). Arrange marinated wings on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through, until cooked through and crispy.
7. Heat the pan add 2 tablespoons oil, onion, garlic, thecha paste, roasted chicken wings and toss it add chop coriander leaves.
8. Garnish with onion and tomato salad.
9. Enjoy your spicy and flavourful thecha chicken wings.

Smoked Korean Chicken Wings
Riding the Korean wave not only in Mumbai but also Goa, chef Savio Fernandes says you can easily make a Smoked Korean Chicken Wings that is not only delicious but also healthy. The chef from Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa in Goa, explains, "Traditionally Korean Chicken is deep fried, however for today's health-conscious traveller is imperative that we offer healthier choices without compromising the taste. The secret of Korean fried chicken is the double frying. Double frying in the air fryer works just as well as it does with deep frying, but way easier. The secret is to coat your chicken after the first fry using a spray/mist of oil. It's not totally necessary, but it really helps."

Ingredients:
For the wings:
Chicken wings 800 gm
Edible oil of your choice 1 tbsp
Sea salt as per taste approximately 1 tsp
Ground black pepper 1/4th tsp
Potato starch or cornflower starch 100 gm
Oil for spraying as you wish
Sliced green onions 100 gm
Sesame seeds for garnish, toasted 1 tbsp
For the sauce:
Gochujang Korean red pepper paste 2 tbsp
Tomato ketchup 2 tbsp
Chilli vinegar 2 tbsp
Honey 1 tbsp
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Brown sugar 2 tbsp
Sesame oil 2 tsp
Garlic cloves, minced 3 gm

Method:
1. Coat the chicken first with oil to help with heat transfer, then salt and pepper, then corn or potato starch, which is what Asian-style chicken is classically made with for a lighter, crispier outer shell.
2. Air fry the chicken at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. There is no need to preheat the air fryer.
3. While the chicken is air frying, make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients, then heating it up to a very slight boil (or even just microwaving it for a minute).
4. When 15 minutes is up, flip the chicken and continue air frying for another 5 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.
5. After the chicken has cooled, spray it with oil again, then air fry it for the final time at 400ºF for 5 minutes. Remove and toss in sauce.

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Chicken Chettinad Wings
While fried chicken wings are really popular, Chef Tushar Malkani, The Yellow House IHCL SeleQtions Goa believes you can enjoy Indian flavours on them. It is also why he suggests you celebrate chicken wings by making Chicken Chettinad Wings. He explains, "While today's traveller has almost touched every continent, his heart yet yearns for what is traditional and what brings him comfort from his home. The Chicken Chettinad Wings brings alive tastes of India and helps you enjoy chicken wings."

Ingredients:
For marination:
Chicken, wings cuts 500 gm
Red chili powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric as per requirement
Salt to taste;
Lime juice 1/2 nos

For masala:
Cloves 3-4 nos
Cardamom 2 nos
Peppercorn 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Coriander seeds 1 tbsp
Fennel seeds 1 tsp
Cinnamon 1 inch
Dried red chillies 3-4 nos
Fresh coconut, grated 1 cup
Salt to taste
Water as required
For sauce:
Oil 1 tbsp
Onion, finely chopped 1 cup
Tomato, finely chopped 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
Curry leaves 7-8 nos

Method:
1. Marinate chicken with chili powder, turmeric and lime juice. Keep aside for 3-4 hours into refrigerator.
2. Meanwhile prepare masala, for that in non-stick pan. Saute all the ingredients until turns light brown in colour. Grind them into the blender using little water if require to form thick consistency.
3. Heat oil in another deep saucepan or kadhai and saute onions until turn light golden in colour.
4. Add ginger garlic paste for 2 minutes or until aroma comes out. Add tomato chopped followed by marinated chicken. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
5. Now, add prepared spice masala and add 1 cup water and cover the lid. Adjust salt.

Double-spiced Korean Chicken Wings
If you love spicy food, then chef Priya Ranjan from Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa in Goa wants you to take it up a notch to make Double-spiced Korean Chicken Wings. She shares, "Traditionally Buffalo wing in America, and Korean chicken wings are much spoken about in their own regions due to their uniqueness. To make it more interesting, we have tossed it with flavoured Japanese panko crumb and Schezwan spices. This will not only give an interesting taste but also add spiciness to it. Steam it, toss it and have it."

Ingredients:
For the wings:
Chicken wings 3 lbs
Canola oil 2 tbsp
Coarse salt 1/2 tsp
Freshly ground Schezwan pepper 1/4 tsp
Ginger powder 2-3 tbsp
For the sauce:
Garlic cloves, minced 3 nos
Chopped onion 3 tbsp
Eggs 2 nos
Soy sauce 2 tbsp
Star anise powder 1tsbp
Panko crumb 100 gm
Sugar 2 tbsp
Sesame oil 1 tsp
Sweet soya sauce 3 tsbp
Korean chilli oil 2 tsbp
Cornstarch 3-4 tbsp
For topping
Sesame seeds 1 tbsp
Green onions, chopped 2 nos
Kimchi 100 gm

Method:
1. Marinate the chicken wings with schezwan pepper powder, ginger powder and salt.
2. Toss the chicken wings with oil.
3. Steam the wings for 15-20 minutes or until its half done.
4. Take a pan and sauce the chopped onion till light brown. Add the sweet chilli sauce, soya sauce, sugar, anise powder in it.
5. Add the crumb, toss it well. Keep it aside.
6. Coat the chicken wings with light coating of egg and corn starch, deep fry.
7. Toss the fried wings with the seasoned crumb, drizzle with sesame and chilli oil. Add some schezwan pepper powder from top.
8. Check the seasoning garnish it with sesame seed, chopped spring onion.
9. Serve hot with kimchi on side.