Tribal chicken recipe becomes a rage among Andhra Pradesh foodies
Bamboo chicken, a popular tribal recipe of Maredumilli agency area in East Godavari district, has become a much sought-after dish in many multi-cuisine restaurants and hotels in Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
In Andhra Pradesh, people from Tada to Itcchapuram, particularly youth from different professional colleges, visit Papikondalu and Maredumilli as part of their botanical tour or academic project and make the best of their visit.
The jungle destination is 85 km from Rajahmundry, on the way to Chinturu and Bhadrachalam.
“This place became popular mainly because of bamboo chicken, a local delicacy and the beautiful streams nearby. Between 2012 and 2014, there was a drastic decline in the number of tourists visiting this place due to the prolonged agitation that preceded the State’s bifurcation,” says senior advocate and local tribal rights activist Mokkapati Prakash.
Most vehicles passing by the Rampachodavaram road pause at the Maredumilli police station where signboards outside thatched roofs greet the travellers with the announcement Bamboo chicken sold here .
This special variety of chicken is prepared by stuffing marinated chicken pieces into bamboo stems. The stems are then placed on coal fire. The entire cooking is done without using oil and the chicken gets cooked with the moisture inside the bamboo. Varieties like bamboo shoot curry and bamboo chutney are other highlights.
“In the last one year, the price of chicken has gone up. One kg chicken is enough to sell six plates (of bamboo chicken) and we charge Rs. 70 per plate,” says Ramu, a tribal youth famous for serving the delicacy for the last 15 years.
His father Satyanarayana gathers bamboo stems from a nearby forest once in a fortnight or a month and wife Rani assists him in cooking.
Local sources indicate that fascinated by the popularity of this delicacy, representatives of a multi-national company recently descended on Maredumilli forest and stayed put at a local guest house for a couple of days and gathered a detailed information along with video clippings of processing bamboo chicken and aloo dum .
