14/04/2024
Chicken pastil is a traditional Filipino Muslim dish that features steamed chicken cooked with spices and wrapped in banana leaves with rice. One of the Filipino favorites!
Here's a simple recipe for chicken pastil:
Ingredients:
For the Chicken:
1 kg (about 2.2 lbs) chicken, cut into serving pieces
2 cups coconut milk
2 cups water
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 thumbs ginger, julienned
3-4 pieces bay leaves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Rice:
3 cups jasmine rice
4 ½ cups water
1 teaspoon salt
For Assembly:
Banana leaves, cleaned and cut into large rectangles (for wrapping)
Hard-boiled eggs (optional, for serving)
Sliced green onions (optional, for garnish)
Instructions:
For the Chicken:
In a large pot, combine the chicken pieces, coconut milk, water, minced garlic, chopped onion, julienned ginger, bay leaves, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 30-40 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and set it aside. Reserve the cooking liquid for later use.
For the Rice:
Rinse the jasmine rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
In a rice cooker or a pot, combine the rinsed rice, water, and salt. Cook the rice according to your rice cooker's instructions or on the stovetop until fully cooked.
Assembly:
Take a piece of banana leaf and quickly pass it over an open flame to wilt and make it more pliable. This will also enhance the aroma of the banana leaf.
Place a portion of cooked rice onto the center of the banana leaf and top it with a piece of cooked chicken.
Fold the banana leaf over the rice and chicken to form a neat packet. Secure the edges by folding or tying with kitchen twine.
Repeat the process with the remaining rice and chicken.
Steam the wrapped chicken pastils in a steamer for about 10-15 minutes to heat through and allow the flavors to meld.
Once heated, unwrap the chicken pastils and serve them warm.
Optionally, serve the chicken pastil with hard-boiled eggs on the side and garnish with sliced green onions for added flavor and presentation.
Enjoy your delicious homemade chicken pastil!