HYDERABAD: The diverse ethnic communities in our country include among others, many tribes who preserve their culture and culinary habits. Each of them has their own interesting recipes using local ingredients and offbeat cooking methods. Bamboo Chicken is one such dish, where marinated chicken is stuffed inside a bamboo stalk and roasted over fire. The tribal belts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are especially known for cooking their meat inside bamboo.
Known as Baunsa Poda Mansha in some parts of Odisha and Bongulo Chicken in Andhra Pradesh, the recipes use chicken or mutton as is locally available. Rice dishes cooked inside bamboo are also prevalent in some tribes of North-Eastern India.Travellers to Araku Valley or Ananthagiri located in the eastern part of Andhra Pradesh would have surely come across many roadside stalls preparing and selling bamboo chicken. Cylindrical bamboo stems with one side open are used here.
The chicken, chopped into small pieces, is marinated in basic spices and pastes of ginger and garlic for some time. After adding chopped onions and green chillies, the chicken is then pushed into the bamboo through the open side. Sal leaves are stuffed on top to seal the open end, and the bamboo is roasted on coal embers or firewood for about half an hour while periodically turning it while cooking. As the colour of the bamboo turns black and cracks start appearing on it, the leaves are removed and the chicken is taken out by cutting the burnt bamboo. The smoke from the burnt bamboo gives a special flavour to this dish.
Bongulo chicken is typically served on sal leaves with a dash of lemon as well as chopped onions. The dish can be enjoyed standalone or with rice or roti. Usually, no oil is added to the preparation making it a naturally healthy dish, and the masala is usually not very overpowering. While preparing the dish, it is important to see that the bamboo does not get over burnt, as the chicken inside tends to lose its moisture.
In Hyderabad, bamboo chicken is available in few Andhra restaurants, notable among whom are Ulavacharu and Vivaha Bhojanambu.
Also, there are a few street kiosks across the city who prepare and sell this chicken at reasonable rates. The exhibitions and fairs held in various parts of the city also have temporary stalls dishing out bamboo chicken. Sri Renuka Yellamma Talli (SRYT) stall near Eeshwar Theatre at Attapur does brisk business with the bamboo chicken that they prepare. Chandra Mohan, the owner says that people from neighbouring areas love this preparation as it is completely oil free. He uses loads of spices including cumin, cinnamon, red chillies, and cardamom and the result is an extremely delicious dish. The bamboo chicken is available for `120 per plate. Kunda Chicken or chicken prepared inside a clay pot is another dish which is available at this popular kiosk.Sabyasachi is a food explorer and blogs at www.foodaholix.in