Bongu Chicken named Bamboo Chicken is a tasty non-vegetarian curry cooked by tribal communities residing in Maredimilli and Araku part of ASR district. Cooking process of Bamboo Chicken exhibits environmentally friendly processes that use natural inputs such as bamboo and banana and Adda leaves.

The core ingredients for Bamboo Chicken include marinated pieces of chicken, along with basic spices like turmeric, red chili powder, ginger, and garlic. Locally sourced herbs and traditional spices enhance the flavor profile. The marination process is essential to infuse the chicken with the spices, allowing it to absorb the rich, earthy taste. Occasionally, vegetables like onions and tomatoes are added for additional flavor. The ingredients are kept simple to allow the bamboo’s natural flavors to permeate the chicken.

Marinated chicken is packed into hollowed bamboo tubes and sealed with leaves from the banana and Ata plants. The sealed bamboo tubes are then placed over a fire and rotated to evenly cook the meat inside. The bamboo itself lends a distinct aroma to the chicken, rendering it tender and tasty. Since this traditional method uses minimum oil, it is healthier, while at the same time providing that rustic, earthy taste typical of tribal cooking.

Bamboo is nature's cooking pot that goes away naturally and decomposes, which cuts down on waste and substitutes for metal utensils. The vessels are prepared without adding oil to further the process of steaming and flavouring, drawing on environmentally friendly culinary traditions. In such instances, the community is involved in conserving natural resources and minimizing the carbon footprint.

Bamboo Chicken is different in that it makes bamboo a cooking material and gives it an enchanting smoky flavor. Add to that local herbs and spices, which every region has its own to complement the flavor. The recipe calls for other seasonal ingredients, like forest herbs or some other wild vegetables, to add a specific regional flavor. While banana and Adda leaves were used in sealing, the whole aroma keeps the chicken moist during the cooking process.