How to Make Thai Pandanus Fried Chicken

Food wrapped in little flavorful packages is always strangely fun to eat – and Thai fried chicken bai teuy, or Thai chicken in pandanus leaf is no exception.

For this recipe, bite sized pieces of boneless chicken breast are given a quick and easy marinade and then wrapped in pandanus leaf prior to frying – and the pandanus leaf imparts a nice herbal flavor to the chicken.

There is nothing at all difficult about this dish, but it’s different and a lot of fun – and it tastes great.

Pandanus leaves can be found fresh and frozen at Asian grocery stores.

Thai Pandanus Fried Chicken Breast

• ½ lb of chicken breast, cut into largish bite sized pieces
• 6 cloves of garlic
• ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tsps oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 4 tsps of soy sauce
• 4 tsps of sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• Pandanus leaves as needed to wrap the chicken (Bai Dteuy Leaves) (about 10-15)
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

Smash the garlic in a mortar and pestle until it’s like a paste (or chop it very finely). And then mix in the salt and pepper, oyster sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar.

Rub this over the chicken pieces and let marinate for 1 to a few hours, in the fridge.

Wash the leaves and then dry them well with a cloth or with paper towels.

Put a piece of chicken on the end of a pandanus leaf and roll the leaf around the chicken (imagine a long white cloth bandage that you were wrapping - or see the video below). Alternate your wrapping to make sure you cover the chicken on all sides with the leaf. Use a toothpick to secure the leaf or tuck the end inside, and then repeat with the remaining chicken pieces until you have wrapped all your chicken up.

Preheat your oil for deep frying and when hot (about 370) deep fry your chicken pieces in batches for 3 or 4 minutes, or until cooked through.

Serve with dipping sauce (see below) and unwrap at the table prior to eating.

Dipping Sauce

• 4 tsps toasted sesame seeds
• 1/8^th cup of water
• ¼ cup of sugar
• 4 tsps sweet soy sauce (see-iu dum)
• ½ tsps salt

Mix the sugar and water together and heat until the sugar has melted into the water. Mix in the remaining ingredients and serve with the chicken.