Community recipe
Vanuatu-Inspired Coconut-Lime Chicken Parcels with Pumpkin Rice
Chicken, pumpkin, and aromatic herbs are wrapped in banana leaves and gently steamed over fragrant coconut rice. The parcel technique keeps the meat succulent while the pumpkin turns silky and the rice absorbs the savory coconut steam. Serve with a bright lime finish for an original Melanesian-inspired centerpiece.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- medium
Get ready
Ingredients
- 450 g chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 3 cm pieces
- 500 g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
- 20 g fresh gingers, finely grated
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 4 banana leaves, rinsed, dried, and softened over heat
- 750 ml waters
- 300 g jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
- 400 ml coconut milks
- 200 ml waters
- 1 pandan leaf, rinsed
- 450 g chicken thighs, already seasoned from step 1
- 500 g pumpkin, already seasoned from step 1
- 20 g fresh gingers, already seasoned from step 1
- 3 garlic cloves, already seasoned from step 1
- 4 scallions, already seasoned from step 1
- 1 tsp ground turmeric, already seasoned from step 1
- 1 tsp fine salt, already seasoned from step 1
- 0.5 tsp black pepper, already seasoned from step 1
- 750 ml waters, already heating in the steamer
- 1 pandan leaf, used in the rice; discard before serving
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- 4 banana leaves, used as wrappers; discard after serving
Make it
Instructions
- 01
Wash, cut, and season the fillings
Rinse 450 g boneless skinless chicken thighs under cold running water only if needed, then pat completely dry with paper towels; cut into 3 cm pieces. Scrub, peel, and cut 500 g peeled pumpkin into 2 cm cubes. Peel and finely grate 20 g fresh ginger. Peel and mince 3 garlic cloves. Thinly slice 4 scallions and keep the white and green portions together. In a bowl, combine the chicken, pumpkin, ginger, garlic, scallions, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp fine salt, and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Toss until evenly coated and set aside at room temperature for no more than 20 minutes. | Why: Drying and evenly sized pieces help the filling season consistently and cook at the same rate.
- 02
Prepare the leaves and steamer
Rinse 4 banana leaves and pat them dry. Hold each leaf briefly over a gas flame or an electric burner on medium, moving constantly, until it becomes glossy, flexible, and slightly darker; do not scorch it. Cut or tear each into a roughly 30 cm square. Set a steamer basket over a pot and add 750 ml water, keeping the water level below the basket. Cover and bring it to a vigorous simmer over high heat, then reduce to medium so steady steam is visible. Keep the steamer covered while you work. | Why: Warming the leaves prevents cracking, while steady steam cooks the parcels gently and evenly.
- 03
Start the coconut rice
Rinse 300 g jasmine rice in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water, rubbing the grains gently, until the runoff is mostly clear; drain for 2 minutes. Put the rice in a heavy 3-liter pot with 400 ml coconut milk, 200 ml water, and 1 pandan leaf. Stir once, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. Reduce to low and cook covered for 10 minutes; the surface should show small steam holes while the grains remain slightly firm. Turn off the heat and leave covered. | Why: Rinsing removes excess surface starch, and the brief pre-cook lets the rice finish steaming beneath the parcels.
- 04
Fold and steam the parcels
Lay each softened leaf flat. Divide the seasoned filling among the centers, using 450 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, 500 g peeled pumpkin, 20 g fresh ginger, 3 garlic cloves, 4 scallions, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp fine salt, and 0.5 tsp black pepper already mixed in the bowl. Fold the two long sides over the filling, then fold in the short sides to make tight square packets; place them seam-side down in the steamer basket above the simmering 750 ml water. Cover tightly and steam at a steady medium simmer for 20 minutes. Rotate the packets once halfway through if the basket has hot spots. Open the thickest packet carefully: the chicken should be opaque throughout and register 74°C on an instant-read thermometer, while the pumpkin should yield easily to a fork. Steam 5 minutes longer if either cue is not met. | Why: Tight folds retain aromatic steam, and the temperature check confirms the poultry is safely cooked.
- 05
Brighten, rest, and serve
Remove the covered rice pot from the hot burner and let it stand, still covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff it with a fork and discard the 1 pandan leaf. Unwrap the hot parcels onto plates, letting excess steam escape for 2 minutes. Cut 2 limes into wedges and squeeze them over the parcels just before serving; add the wedges to the plates. Serve each portion with coconut rice while hot, and discard all 4 banana leaves after serving. | Why: Resting finishes the grain texture and releases steam safely, while fresh citrus balances the rich, savory parcel.
