RecipeReplica: Oven-Roasted Minty Drumsticks

For this post of "RecipeReplica" I hopped to fellow blogger Sarah's awesome blog "!Vazhayila!" which translates to "Plaintain Leaf". So what is so special about a Plaintain Leaf? In most parts of India(Specifically South) and parts of Malaysia, food is served on Plaintain Leaf on auspicious days, like during weddings and such.
One might wonder what the benefit of eating on this leaf is? Eating hot food on the leaf absorbs the unique flavor of the leaf and makes its a relishing experience.It is also considered hygienic since its an organic use-once-only bio-degradable plate of sorts and believed to also have some medicinal values.I love the fact she has named her blog with such a wonderful and meaningful name and also the fact that its full of fabulous traditional recipes. One among many recipes that caught my eye was her Oven-Roasted Minty Game hens. I went with drumsticks since I didn't have Game hens in stock.

Ingredients:

• Chicken Drumsticks - 5

For the Mint Rub:

• Chopped Fresh Mint - 2 tbsp
• Garlic Cloves - 2, big
• Ginger - 1/2 inch, chopped
• Cracked pepper - 1 1/2 tsp (or less)
• Paprika or Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
• Lime Juice - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

• Clean the drumsticks,pat dry and put deep slits.Keep the skin on.
• In a blender/Food processor, blend all the ingredients under "For the Rub" to a smooth paste.
• Important: Check for taste. Add more spice or salt IF needed.
• In a Ziploc plastic bag, add the ground mixture, chicken drumsticks and marinate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• On a greased baking dish with RIM, lay the drumsticks upright, flesh side down and bake for 40 minutes.
• Crank the heat to 400 degrees, discard the fat and bake for 20 more minutes until the skin is browned evenly on all sides.
• Rest the chicken for 10 minutes and move to a serving plate and garnish with finely chopped mint leaves.
• Serve immediately.

Enjoy!