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Crispy fried chicken lollipop (drums of heaven) served with spicy schezwan sauce, restaurant-style.
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5 from 14 votes

Best Chicken Lollipop | Drums of Heaven

Chicken Lollipop, or Drums of Heaven, is a popular, spicy fried chicken recipe that is crispy on the outside and juicy, tender on the inside. These crispy fried chicken can be served as a starter, appetizer, or a side.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Resting Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Starter
Cuisine: Chinese, Indian, Indo-Chinese
Servings: 12
Calories: 89kcal
Author: Kushi

Equipment

  • Pan for frying
  • Bowls

Ingredients

For the Marination

  • 12 Chicken drums and flats
  • 2 tablespoon Vinegar or Lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 2 tablespoon Kashmiri red chile powder (used for color)

For the batter

  • ½ cup All purpose flour or Maida
  • ¼ cup Corn flour or Rice flour
  • ½ teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chile powder for color
  • 1 teaspoon Spicy red chile powder for heat
  • ½ teaspoon Black pepper powder
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon Spring onions, finely chopped (optional)
  • Oil for frying

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

  • In a bowl, add prepared chicken drums and flats, vinegar, ginger-garlic paste, salt, red chile powder, and mix. 
    12 Chicken drums and flats, 2 tablespoon Vinegar or Lemon juice, 2 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste, ½ teaspoon Salt, 2 tablespoon Kashmiri red chile powder
  • Cover and keep this in the refrigerator for 60 minutes. 

Prepare the lollipop chicken batter.

  • In another bowl, add all-purpose flour, cornflour, salt, red chile powder, pepper powder, ginger-garlic paste, spring onions, and water little by little to form a medium-thick batter.
    ½ cup All purpose flour, ¼ cup Corn flour or Rice flour, ½ teaspoon Salt, 1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chile powder, ½ teaspoon Black pepper powder, 1 to 2 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste, 1 to 2 tablespoon Spring onions, finely chopped, 1 teaspoon Spicy red chile powder

Chicken lollipop fry

  • Heat oil in a pan on medium flame. 
    Oil
  • Dip each marinated chicken in batter and drop it in hot oil. Flip it after a couple of minutes and fry until the chicken is crispy on the outside. Total fry time is about 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Transfer it to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat the process for the remaining chicken. 
  • Serve it with Spicy Homemade Schezwan Sauce & enjoy.

Video

Notes

  • Kashmiri red chile powder is similar to paprika, i.e., not spicy, and is used to get that deep red color with moderate spiciness. You can reduce the amount if needed. 
  • My kids love chicken lollipops, and when I make these for them, I reduce the amount of red chile powder. 
  • Corn flour can be substituted with rice flour. 
  • You can also lightly coat each fried chicken lollipop in Szechuan sauce to make it drums of heaven or dragon chicken.
  • Add ¼ teaspoon of red food color to the batter if you want the same bright red-colored chicken lollipops as you get at restaurants.
  • Want to avoid frying? You can also grill or bake lollipop chicken in your preheated 220-degree C oven for 22 to 25 minutes or until cooked through, rotating halfway through. 
  • In the video, I have not added the spring onions, but I recommend them as it adds amazing flavor. 

Nutrition

Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 214mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 898IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg