Instructions

1. Peel and finely grate 1 (2-inch) piece peeled ginger and 4 to 5 garlic cloves until you have 1 tablespoon each. Place in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons neutral oil, 2 tablespoons red chili powder, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar, and stir to combine.
2. If using whole chicken wings, cut 6 wings into 3 pieces at the joints. Discard the wings tip or save for making stock.
3. Cut the wingettes and drumettes into lollipops:
4. Wingettes: The wingette is the thinner, flatter piece with 2 bones. Cut a slit between the two bones to access the thinner bone and scrape the meat away from the thinner bone a paring knife to remove it completely. For the thicker bone, scrape the meat off to one side so that most of the bone is clean. If you want a tighter lollipop, flip the meat inside-out so the skin is on the inside. To form the lollipop shape, swirl the meat end of the bone in the palm of your hand and press tightly to form a ball.
5. Drumettes: The drummette is the larger piece with a single thick bone. Starting at the thinner side of the drummette, scrape the meat toward the thicker end with a paring knife so that most of the bone is clean. If you want a tighter lollipop, flip the meat inside-out so the skin is on the inside. Swirl the meat end of the bone in the palm of your hand and press tightly to form a ball.
6. Carefully add chicken lollipops to the marinade and rub the marinade into the lollipops. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Meanwhile, make the chutney.
7. Make the green chutney yogurt sauce (optional):
8. Coarsely chop the leaves and tender stems of 1 bunch fresh cilantro (about 3 cups) and coarsely chop 1 Thai green chili or serrano chili, including seeds. Transfer both to a blender. Add 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup water, the juice from 1/2 medium lime (about 1 1/2 tablespoons), 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar. Blend on high speed until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour into a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
9. Bread and fry the chicken lollipops:
10. About 15 minutes before the chicken is finished marinating, heat 8 cups neutral oil into a large pot over high heat until 350ºF. Meanwhile, place 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup corn flour, 1 tablespoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper in small bowl and stir to combine.
11. Have a baking sheet ready. Remove the bowl of marinated chicken lollipops from the refrigerator. Add the flour mixture and mix with your hands to evenly distribute the breading. Add 3/4 cup water and mix to coat. It’s okay if the lollipop shapes loosen in the mixing process. The breading will be quite dry, more like a paste, to produce crispy restaurant-style lollipops. Once mixed, use your hands to swirl the lollipops in the palm of your hand, evenly distributing the batter and re-tightening the lollipops into balls. Transfer the lollipops onto the baking sheet.
12. Reduce the heat to medium. Fry 3 to 4 lollipops per batch: Add to the hot oil and fry until dark golden-brown and the thickest part of the chicken registers at least 165º F, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately with the green chutney yogurt sauce.