Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1 dash reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch Chinese five-spice powder
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup tempura batter mix, or as needed
vegetable oil for frying
1 bunch Thai basil leaves

Preparation

Combine chicken pieces, garlic powder, black pepper, curry powder, ginger, soy sauce, cinnamon, five-spice powder, and salt in a large bowl. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle tempura batter mix over chicken; toss to coat lightly and evenly.
Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry chicken in the hot oil in batches until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Increase oil temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Fry Thai basil leaves until crisp, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. Fry chicken a second time, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.
Serve chicken with basil leaves.