Chicken Taro Bake
A hearty and comforting dish from Papua New Guinea, featuring tender chicken and taro leaves simmered in coconut milk with aromatic spices. This 'wet mumu' style dish is traditionally cooked in a pot, layering ingredients to create a flavorful and nourishing meal.
🧂 Ingredients
- 6 large Chicken drumsticks(or other chicken pieces)
- 25 g Garlic(finely grated)
- 20 g Red chili(finely chopped (optional))
- 30 g Ginger(finely grated)
- 200 g Carrots(cut into thick strips)
- 1 teaspoon Salt(or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper(or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 400 ml Coconut milk
- 700 g Spinach(washed and roots removed (or other leafy greens like kale, silverbeet, bok choy))
- 2 Spring onions(washed and thinly sliced, for garnish)
- 2 cups Water(for simmering)
- 3 Chicken stock cubes(divided)
- 2 tablespoons Sweet soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Cooking oil(for browning chicken)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Place chicken drumsticks in a large saucepan. Cover three-quarters with water and add 2 chicken stock cubes, chopped chilies (if using), garlic, and half of the grated ginger. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 2
Add the carrots to the pot and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
- 3
Stir in salt, pepper, turmeric, and half of the coconut milk. Add the sweet soy sauce and stir through.
- 4
Place the spinach (or other leafy greens) on top of the chicken mixture. Add the remaining ginger and the rest of the coconut milk.
- 5
Gently press the spinach down into the liquid. Simmer uncovered on low heat for another 10 minutes, gently pressing the spinach occasionally but without stirring.
- 6
Add the remaining chicken stock cube (dissolved in a little hot water if desired) and stir through. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with sliced spring onions before serving.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Spinach can be substituted with any green leafy vegetable such as silverbeet, kale, or bok choy.
- ✓This dish is a 'wet mumu' style, meaning it's cooked with liquid (coconut milk and water) rather than dry.
- ✓Serve hot with rice or taro root.
🔄 Variations
- Add other root vegetables like taro or sweet potato along with the carrots.
- For a spicier version, increase the amount of red chili.