Banana leaves offer an amazing and stunning way to grill food. As a girl, I lived in Hawaii and experienced the beauty and ease of banana leaf cooking for the first time. I created this recipe to combine my love of the banana leaf with my mom’s North African style of cooking at home.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 5 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with liquid
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup green olives, pitted
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed cardamon
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, peeled, and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 white onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- Kosher salt
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, quartered
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons ras el hanout or any Moroccan spice seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 trimmed banana leaves, each 12 inches square
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare a grill for medium heat.
- In a large bowl, mix together the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, olives, cardamon, garlic, carrots, bell pepper, onion, 1 tablespoon of the granulated garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt. Add to a cast-iron pan and put on the grill over direct heat. Bring to a rapid boil, close the lid and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Toss the chicken pieces in a bowl with the olive oil, then add the ras el hanout, cumin, cinnamon, remaining 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt and mix until uniformly covered.
- Arrange the banana leaves on a baking sheet. Place 2 to 3 pieces of chicken on each leaf. With a slotted spoon or fork, cover the chicken with the sauce. Sprinkle a teaspoon each of the lemon zest and cilantro on top of each portion. Fold each banana leaf like an envelope and secure with cook’s twine or toothpicks.
- Place the baking sheet with the banana envelopes on the grill over direct heat and cook until the chicken is cooked through but still juicy, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 448 |
| Total Fat | 9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 47 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
| Protein | 47 g |
| Cholesterol | 134 mg |
| Sodium | 1271 mg |
Reviews
Great spices!