Barbecued Pandan Chicken

Pandan chicken is a dish where chicken pieces are marinated in coconut milk and spices and is then deep fried. In this recipe I barbecue the chicken which I find even more delicous. To make a vegetarian version simply replace the chicken with tofu or you could try cauliflower. Pandan leaves are sold at East Asian food stores fresh or frozen.

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6 Portions
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Prep: 20 minutes plus marinating time
Cook: Cooking Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 500g chicken fillet, cut into 4-5cm pieces

Marinade

  • 100ml coconut milk
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp ginger,finely chopped
  • 5 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp five spice powder
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric

To Wrap

  • 12 pandan leaves
  • tooth picks
  • oil for deep frying (optional) or barbecue

Method

  1. Marinade: Place all the marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree them briefly. Alternative grind all the ingredients except the coconut milk together in a mortar and pestle and then stir in the coconut milk.Place the marinade in a bowl and put the chicken pieces in the marinade and place it in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
  2. To Wrap: Cut the pandan leaves into 12-15cm pieces. Place a piece of chicken at one end and wrap it then take another pandan leave and wrap the chicken on the uncovered side and secure the pandan leaves with a tooth pick. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken.
  3. To Cook: Cook the pandan chicken on a moderately hot barbecue for 5 minutes on each side or deep fry the pandan chicken in oil at 180°C for 5 minutes until cooked through.
  4. To Serve: Serve the pandan chicken on one large plate or individual plates. This makes a great dish as part of a barbecue or as a buffet dish or hot canapé.