Chicken Pandan or Pandan Chicken is a delicious Thai chicken dish. Chicken pieces such as drumsticks, wings, and boneless breasts are marinated in a concoction of seasonings and spices then wrapped in Pandan (Screwpine) leaves. This can be cooked in different ways: deep-frying, grilling, and baking.

  

  

Also known as pandanus leaf, it is a kind of herb with long green aromatic leaves which are popularly used in the Southeast Asian cooking, lending a unique taste and distinct aroma to curry, rice, cakes and many Thai cuisines. They are known in Indonesia and Malaysia as daun pandan. Fresh leaves are usually torn into strips, tied into a knot before placing into the cooking liquid to perfume it. At the end of the cooking, it will be removed.

  

  

  

  

Pandan can also be used as a natural replacement for food-coloring, imbuing desserts with bright shade of green. It can also be found as a ready-to-use paste in most Asian specialty stores. In Thailand, pieces of marinated chicken are wrapped in a clever wrapping of the pandan leaf and grilled or deep-fried to the extend that the subtle flavor of the leaf is being imparted to the chicken

  

  

  

  

  

You might be wondering why the chicken pieces need to be wrapped in Pandan leaves. Aside from looking nice, Pandan leaves provide a sweet enticing aroma to the chicken which can increase your appetite level. Have you tried placing Pandan leaves when steaming rice? If you have, that is the same aroma that I���m talking about.

  

  

  

  

  

This Chicken Pandan recipe variation caters more to the Filipino taste; you can call this Pinoy Chicken Pandan, if you want.

The secret to a flavorful chicken or meat dish is the marinade. It is important that you let the chicken absorb all the flavors before starting to cook. I usually marinate the chicken overnight to infuse all the flavors.

Try this Pinoy Chicken Pandan recipe and let me know your thoughts.

Ingredients:

6 pieces chicken wings, small chicken drumsticks, or sliced boneless chicken breasts

6 to 8 pieces fresh or fresh frozen Pandan leaves

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 thumb-size piece ginger, minced

1 tablespoon lemon or calamansi juice

2 cups cooking oil

Procedures:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, ground black pepper, garlic, ginger, and lemon juice. Mix well.

2. Put-in the chicken pieces in the bowl with the mixture and marinade for at least 3 hours. I always marinade meat overnight to absorb the flavors better. When marinating overnight, make sure to cover the bowl and refrigerate it to avoid contamination.

3. Wrap the chicken with Pandan leaves. This is done by taking a long leaf and start wrapping about 3 inches down the leaf until the chicken piece is covered. Wrap back from where you started and tie one end of the leaf to the other end until a knot is formed.

4. Heat a cooking pot and pour-in cooking oil.

5. When the oil is hot enough, deep fry the chicken until the color turns golden brown. You may also grill the chicken instead of frying it.

6. Turn-off heat and transfer the chicken to a serving plate.

7. Serve. Share and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Generic - Chicken Pandan (Filipino Style)

1. Servings: 2 pieces 1 pieces 1 container (8 pieces ea.)