Chicken Pollichathu / Chicken Cooked in Banana Leaf

 Chicken Pollichathu ( Chicken Cooked in Banana Leaf) is a Kerala special chicken roast recipe. The fried chicken pieces are coated with a onion gravy and then goes for a slight grill  inside the banana leaf. Try this flavorful chicken recipe and you won't be disappointed. Also checkout the recipe of fish cooked inside the banana leaf: Meen Pollichathu

Ingredients:

1. Chicken small pieces- 1/2 kg
2. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
3. Chilly powder-1 tsp
4. Pepper powder-1 tsp
5. Ginger garlic paste-2 tsp
6. Thick curd-1 tbsp
7. Salt-to taste
8. Oil-for shallow frying
9. Onion-2 medium
10. Tomato-1 medium
11. Crushed ginger and garlic-2 tsp
12. Green chilly-2
13. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
14. Kashmiri chilly powder-1 1/2 tsp
15. Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp
16. Garam masala powder-1 tsp
17. Salt-to taste
18. Curry leaves-2 springs
19. Thick coconut milk-1/2 cup
20. Banana Leaf-1 big piece

Preparation:

• Marinate cleaned chicken pieces with ingredients from 2 to 7.
• Rest in fridge for 1/2 hour and shallow fry them in hot oil over medium flame until nicely fried (fry them in medium flame until nice brown; don't over fry until hard).
• Drain it and keep aside.
• In the same oil; add sliced onions and saute well until nice golden in color.
• Then add crushed ginger, garlic and green chilly.
• Add all the powders in low flame and mix well.
• Add thinly sliced tomato and saute until mashed well.
• Add fried chicken pieces and mix well for 5 minutes.
• Add thick coconut milk and  curry leaves; Cook on low flame for another 5 minutes.
• Wash and wipe the banana leaf; shown it over direct flame for few minutes to loosen.
• Place the cooked chicken pieces along with it's masala on the center and wrap them gently without breaking the leaf and tie it.
• Place it inside a heavy bottom pan and slow cook for 30  minutes(15 minutes each on  both sides).
• Open it after slightly cools down; Serve soon and enjoy the great taste!!!