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Pandan chicken
Makes 25-30 pieces Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 500g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 5cm × 2cm strips
- about 15 pandan (screw pine) leaves
- about 30 bamboo skewers
- 500ml vegetable oil
For the marinade
- 2tbsp curry powder
- 1tbsp ground turmeric
- 3tbsp coconut cream
- 2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1tbsp fish sauce
- 1tsp sugar
- pinch each of salt and ground white pepper
Method
Combine the marinade ingredients, with a pinch each of salt and ground white pepper, in a large mixing bowl, add the chicken strips and rub the marinade into the chicken until well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight.
Cut the pandan leaves into 10cm lengths, then gather the leaves up into one bunch and gently twist the bunch to bruise the leaves; this will help to release the essence. Be careful not to tear the leaves.
Place a piece of chicken at one end of a pandan leaf. Fold the leaf over, then roll up until the whole leaf is wrapped around the chicken. Insert a skewer through the centre of the parcel to secure the leaf and chicken together. Repeat the same process with all of the chicken strips.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the pandan chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Remove and drain on paper towel. Serve hot; unwrap to eat and discard the pandan leaves.
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