Fragrant & flavourful

WHEN we speak of Thai food, we often think of sour and spicy tom yum, green papaya salad, pineapple fried rice, and the myriad other dishes that taste distinctly Thai with ingredients such as chillies, spices, herbs, and fish sauce.
While we adults have more experienced palates and a higher threshold for spicy food, our young children may not, and that is usually my predicament when it comes to eating Thai food.
For a small family, it is rather a challenge to order a spread that caters to both young and old.
This is because even if it is a supposedly non-spicy Thai dish, there will still be a hint of spiciness with the addition of a few small whole chillies or chilli slices as garnishing.
Pandan-wrapped chicken is considered a "safe" Thai dish for children.
And if you decide to serve some Thai cuisine at home, this is quite an easy dish to go with your vegetable and rice dishes, and of course, your must-have tom yum soup.
There are a few ways to wrap your chicken with the pandan leaves.
But I find rolling a strip of pandan leaf around the chicken fillet and securing it with a toothpick the easiest.
It also makes quite a dainty bite when served as a finger food.
Pandan-wrapped chicken
Ingredients
»400g chicken fillet
»Pandan leaves
»Toothpicks
»Cooking oil for deep frying
Marinade
»2 cloves garlic, chopped
»1 tsp sesame oil
»1 tbsp fish sauce
»1 tbsp oyster sauce
»1 tsp sugar
»Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
1. Cut the chicken fillet into cubes or chunks measuring about one inch (2.5cm).
2. Marinade the chicken fillet in a bowl for 30 minutes.
3. Rinse the pandan leaves and cut them into strips of about four to five inches in length.
4. Take a pandan leaf and roll it rather tightly around a piece of meat.
5. Poke a toothpick through the leaf and meat to secure it properly.
6. Heat up the cooking oil in a deep fryer or saucepan.
7. When oil is hot, place the pandan-wrapped chicken pieces into the oil.

8. Fry for three to five minutes in medium heat until chicken is cooked.
9. Remove from oil and place onto a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
10. Serve warm, with some Thai or regular chilli sauce on the side.