Chicken Pastil Recipe

Chicken Pastil Recipe – Pastilan ka Darleng!

I often hear my Ilongga MIL say this to my father-in-law, sometimes in a half-joking, half-annoyed tone. And I wonder if that pastil is related to our recipe today.

Chicken Pastil (also called pater in some areas) is basically banana leaf–wrapped steamed rice topped with flavorful turmeric-flavored shredded chicken meat called “kagikit.” A lot of people refer to the shredded meat as pastil, but according to a Maranao friend, if it’s only the meat, you call it kagikit.

This delicious dish (not to be confused with Chicken Pastel, which is a creamy chicken dish) originated from Muslim and Maranao communities in Mindanao and it’s seriously addictive. I first found it online, through one of those bottled artisan shops, and I got interested with the concept of a dry dinilawan or chicken in turmeric. ( I also found them being sold at the food court in Greenhills! (see Greenhills Shopping Center: A Hidden Gem for Maranaw Food Adventures!)

It’s the perfect satisfying meal whether you eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Making it at home is so simple and easy too. For baon, the banana leaf not only serves as an eco-friendly wrapper but also imparts a subtle aroma to the rice. Pastil is often enjoyed as a quick portable meal and has become a symbol of the region’s resourceful and communal food culture.

Chicken Pastil

August 10, 2023

by April Bewell

Cuisine Filipino

Category Food Meat Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cooked white rice for 2

Instructions

1. Brown chicken in a little oil. (Sangkutsa)
2. Boil chicken in water until cooked through (about 30 minutes).
3. Shred into smaller pieces. reserve the liquid.
4. Heat up oil in a pan, saute garlic and onions until fragrant.
5. Add shredded chicken, soy sauce and turmeric, and chili (if using).
6. Cook until light and brown, occasionally adding reserved liquid so it will not dry up.
7. Continuously stir in high heat. Taste test and once you get the test you like, allow to let dry until it gets to a bit of a smoky flavor,
8. Season well.
9. Shape rice onto plates. Top with chicken pastil.
10. Serve with *palapa, sliced cucumber, tomatoes, or eggs, . Enjoy!

Notes

*Palapa is a Mindanaoan zesty condiment created by blending together finely chopped onion, ginger, turmeric, and labuyo chili. It is served raw or cooked depending on your preference.

Tags

Banana leaf wrap,

Budget-friendly,

Easy recipe,

Filipino Muslim recipe,

Filipino recipe,

Mindanao cuisine,

Muslim dish. Breakfast recipe,

Quick and delicious,

Shredded chicken,

Traditional dish

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How to cook Chicken Pastil

To start, I boil chicken breast until cooked through. Then I shred it up with my (clean of course!) hands. Meanwhile, I saute onions and garlic in oil until fragrant. That’s when the shredded chicken goes in along with soy sauce and turmeric. I let it cook down until the “kagikit” or dried chicken meat is lightly browned and full of flavor. I like to get it a bit of a toasty side -something like the flaked tapa except this one is a bit yellowish with the turmeric. Once it gets to the level where it’s a bit smokey tasting -this is the time when I turn off the fire.

Next is assembling the Pastil. I shape the steamed rice on a plate. Then I top it with the aromatic kagikit (the shredded chicken). You can also wrap it all up in a banana leaf if taking it on the go. I’ve found that this adds an even more mouth-watering smell as the smell of the banana leaves combines with the dish, For modern conveniences, packing it up in a lunch box will also be a good option.

I like serving my Chicken Pastil with sliced cucumber or tomato for crunch. Hard-boiled eggs are also a fave protein addition. Don’t forget your spicy condiment too! The original dish is served with a Mindanaoan condiment called Palapa which is a made from finely chopped native onions (called sakurab), ginger, turmeric, and labuyo chili. It adds just the right kick. This condiment is also available to buy online at Lazada or Shopee. You can add green chilies (siling pansigang) or straight-up labuyo if you want.

Give this Chicken Pastil recipe a try, moms. It’s guaranteed to be a hit with the whole family. This easy recipe is just right for a weekend breakfast with the kids. Sarap na sarap sila so I know you will be too! Let me know if you have any other questions!

Til next time, and relax lang ha? #ChickenPastil #FilipinoMuslimFood #RelaxLangMom

Chicken Pastil -A Dish with Deeper Roots

Tracing the exact historical origin of pastil is challenging, as early colonial records of the Philippines (Spanish era onward) offer scant direct mention of this specific dish. There is no explicit reference in connected Spanish chronicles to a dish named “pastil,” nor to shredded chicken over rice wrapped in banana leaves. This absence suggests that if pastil existed in some form during the colonial period, it was likely part of the informal, everyday local cuisine that went undocumented by Spanish writers focused on larger geopolitical or religious matters.

Pastil may not appear in old Spanish colonial cookbooks, but dishes like it have been part of Mindanao’s kitchens for centuries. Early travel accounts noted that Moro communities carried rice and viand wrapped in banana or palm leaves as portable meals for farming, fishing, or long river trips. The turmeric in pastil points to Mindanao’s connections to the Malay world and the old spice routes.

The concept of wrapping rice and viand in leaves has deep indigenous roots in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Spanish observers did note that native peoples commonly carried meals of rice bundled in banana or palm leaves when traveling or working in the fields. Such practices predate colonial times and were practical for a mobile lifestyle. It’s plausible that pastil evolved from these precolonial foodways – essentially as an portable packed meal for Moro traders, farmers, or warriors. The use of turmeric (introduced via early Islamic and Malay influence) to season the chicken also hints at pre-Spanish or insular Southeast Asian origins, since turmeric was known in the archipelago due to spice trade links.

Its leaf wrapping links it to a wider Southeast Asian tradition: Indonesia’s lemper (glutinous rice with chicken), Malaysia’s nasi lemak bungkus, and even our own Luzon-style binalot. Each is local in flavor, but all share the same idea – rice and protein bundled in a fragrant leaf, easy to carry and eat anywhere.

Among the Maguindanaon and Maranao, pastil is part of daily life. You’ll find it in markets, roadside stalls, and school canteens, always ready to be eaten on the go. It’s halal, budget-friendly, and perfect for sharing during community gatherings. During Ramadan, it’s sometimes given out for iftar or suhur, wrapped in neat banana leaf packets that are easy to hand around.

Early regional cookbooks and ethnographies from the 20th century (when interest in documenting Filipino indigenous cuisines grew) provide some of the first formal mentions of pastil. By mid-century, Maguindanaon and Maranao ethnographic reports note a dish of rice with shredded dried beef or chicken, wrapped in leaves for convenience. These references show that pastil was well-established as an everyday food by the time of the Philippine Commonwealth era, even if it wasn’t widely known outside Mindanao. 

The Palapa with Pastil – a match made in heaven

And then there’s the palapa. This is the Mindanaoan spicy condiment made with sakurab (a type of native shallot grown in Lanao), ginger, turmeric, and chili peppers. Some recipes also have grated coconut in them which are pounded together and sautéed. The result is a fragrant, piquant mixture with a balance of heat and sweetness. It’s a Maranao household and kitchen staple and the perfect sidekick for pastil. A tablespoon or two adds heat, aroma, and that unmistakable complexity and local character. This spicy relish is either added on top of the rice, or served on the side, to be mixed in as one eats. The sakurab’s garlicky-onion flavor, the warmth of ginger and turmeric, and the kick of chilis cut through the richness of the chicken and impart a distinctly Maranao character to each bite.

Palapa’s roots are firmly in the Maranao and Maguindanao culinary tradition. The very term “palapa” comes from Maranao vernacular, and it originally refers to the scallion bulb (sakurab) and coconut mixture that can be sun-dried for preservation. Historically, Maranao families made palapa as a way to prolong the shelf-life of harvested sakurab and to have readily available seasoning on hand. By cooking the chopped aromatics in oil (often coconut oil) with salt, they created a condiment that could keep for weeks or months in jars – essentially an early form of food preservation and convenience seasoning.

In Maranao culture, palapa is everywhere. An old saying notes that a Maranao kitchen is never without palapa. It is said that young Maranao cooks learn to prepare palapa as a foundational skill, since it will be the base for many dishes. The importance of palapa is such that it’s often part of cultural demonstrations and food festivals in Lanao; it’s showcased as the “secret ingredient” of Maranao cuisine. Despite its humble status as a condiment, palapa’s bold flavors encapsulate the Maranao love for spices and can be seen as a product of Mindanao’s historical position in the spice trade routes.

For chicken pastil, palapa is the perfect accompaniment. A small dollop of this spicy relish is either added on top of the rice, or served on the side, to be mixed in as one eats. It elevates the simple pastil by adding heat, complexity, and aroma. The sakurab’s garlicky-onion flavor, the warmth of ginger and turmeric, and the kick of chilis cut through the richness of the chicken and impart a distinctly Maranao character to each bite.

Beyond being a condiment, palapa often also functions as a cooking base. The kagikit (shredded chicken filling) for pastil is frequently sautéed with a bit of palapa to begin with, infusing the meat with layered flavors. This practice is similar to how French cuisine uses mirepoix or how Indian cooking uses garam masala early in a dish – in Maranao cooking, palapa is the flavor backbone. When preparing large quantities of pastil, households will often mix spoonfuls of palapa into the chicken as it cooks so that the distinctive taste is imbued throughout.

Socially, palapa also carries significance. Jars of homemade palapa are common gifts among Maranao families – for example, a visiting relative might bring a jar as a gesture of goodwill. Adding palapa with chicken pastil when giving it to neighbors or guests is seen as extra love and care, showing you’ve provided not just a meal but the spice to enjoy the chicken pastil to the fullest. Especially in times of celebration or hardship, sharing palapa is symbolic. According to stories during the Marawi siege (2017), evacuated families from Marawi City carried with them jars of palapa, a small taste of home amidst uncertainty and war. These anecdotes really shows how palapa is a core element of the Maranao culture.

Comparison with Other Condiments

For broader context, one can compare palapa to similar spicy relishes in the region:

• In Indonesia and Malaysia, sambal (chili paste) is ubiquitous; like palapa, sambal comes in many variants and accompanies most meals for those who love heat.
• In Thailand, a comparable concept is nam prik – chili-based condiments often made with garlic, shallots, and shrimp paste. While nam prik has a different flavor profile, its role as a meal-enhancing side is similar to palapa’s role in Mindanao.
• What sets palapa apart is its strong dependence on sakurab (native shallot) and turmeric – giving it a yellowish hue and a unique aroma. Few other Southeast Asian condiments use turmeric as liberally in a chili-onion mix. This makes palapa distinctly Mindanaoan. It bridges influences from Malay cuisine (use of lemongrass, ginger, turmeric common in rendang and curries) with local ingredients and tastes.

Sources:

1. Manabilang, J. (2021). Magindanaw Pastil: The Ubiquitous Rice Meal. Mindanao Journal of Cultural Studies, 5(2), 33-35.
2. Buenaflor, R. (2018). “Food and Colonization: Culinary Encounters in Spanish Philippines.” Journal of Southeast Asian History, 54(1), 112-115.
3. Chirino, P. (1604). Relación de las Islas Filipinas (English trans. by Blair & Robertson, 1903, Vol. 12, pp. 274-275).
4. Majul, C. (1973). Muslims in the Philippines, Quezon City: UP Press – on indigenous Mindanao food practices.
5. Madale, N. (1986). Foods of the Maranao. Marawi City: University Research Center.
6. Ramah, S. (2015). “Wrapped Dishes of Indonesia.” Indonesian Heritage Cuisine, 2nd ed., Jakarta: Gramedia.
7. Sabran, S. (2019). Nasi Lemak: A National Dish. Kuala Lumpur: Food Heritage Press.
8. Ismail, R. (2020). “Nasi Tumpang and the Malay Coastal Trade.” Journal of Malaysian Studies, 28(3), 67-69.
9. Dipatuan, A. (2017). Sakurab and Palapa: Spice of the Maranao. Iligan: Dansalan Research Institute.