Seems like anything with a handle or a stick coming out of it is called a lollipop today. The chicken lollipops ($3.99/$7.49) at Masala Wok (10001 Westheimer, 713-784-8811) come in portions of four or eight, and four of the wings make the perfect-size appetizer. The convenient “stick” used to pick up the chicken pieces is the bone; the skin and meat are pushed away and upward to the top, completing the lollipop shape. Marinated in Indian spices before being coated in a zesty batter and deep-fried, the wings come with a bright-red dipping sauce made with ginger, garlic and hot peppers, adding another layer of flavors to an already complex dish.
This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2009.