Mandi is a traditional dish originated from Yemen, it many consist of meat and rice cooked with Yemeni spice blend called Hawaji. It is cooked in a underground pit. It's extremely popular in most areas of the Arabian Peninsula.
There are many ways one can make this dish. Mainly the meat has to be moist. The meat is marinated and cooked separately with the rice in a steamer and then the chicken is grilled in a tandoor.. The dish has a smoky flavour. This dish is served with Tomato Chutney called Salata Hara..
Here is how I have made the Chicken Mandi inspired from Yummy O Yummy.
Spice Blend
Ingredients
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp Peppercorns
6 Green Cardamom
6 Cloves
2 inch Cinnamon
1 small piece of Nutmeg
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp Paprika (used Kashmiri chilli powder here)
1 tsp Turmeric powder
Method
Dry roast all the whole spices for few seconds, let the spices cool down. Add the turmeric powder and paprika / Kashmiri chilli powder and grind all the ingredients together into a fine paste.
Marinate the Chicken
Ingredients
2 pieces of the Chicken thighs
1/2 tsp Garlic paste
1 1/2 tbsp Spice blend
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Lemon juice
Few strands of Saffron in 3 tbsp of hot water
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Method
Take a bowl, add the spice blend, salt, 3 tbsp saffron water, 2 tbsp oil,garlic paste, lemon juice and salt. Mix all the ingredients together. Give few slits on the chicken pieces. Rub the spices on to the chicken pieces. Keep the chicken pieces aside for an hour or more.
For the Mandi
Ingredients
250 grams / 1 cup of Basmati Rice
1 medium size Onion sliced
2 Green chillies slit
1 tbsp chopped Garlic cloves
1 Dried Lime
Few Coriander leaves chopped
Marinated Chicken
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Green Cardamom
2 Cloves
1 inch Cinnamon
2 Bay leaves
Salt to taste
1 Chicken cube seasoning
Few Raisins and Almond Flakes for garnishing
Few Saffron strands in 4 tbsp of hot water
1 tsp + 1/2 tsp Butter
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Ghee
1 small piece of Charcoal
Method
Wash the rice and keep it aside. Take a steamer pot, add 1 tbsp ghee and 1 tsp butter, once the ghee and butter melts add the whole garam masala spices, cumin seeds and bay leaves. Let the spices crackle, add the onion, green chillies, dried lemon and garlic, sauté until the onion slices are translucent. Add the rice, chicken cube seasoning and salt. Stir and sauté the rice for a minute. Add 2 cups of hot water and saffron water into the pot. Cover the lower steamer pot with the casserole pot of the steamer. Place the marinated chicken in the casserole. Cover the casserole pot and cook the rice until done. Remove the chicken, brush the chicken with butter. and grill the chicken for 15 minutes, until golden brown in colour.
Add the almond flakes, raisins and chopped coriander leaves into the rice. Stir the rice gently. Place the chicken over the rice. Place a small bowl in the center of the pot. Burn a charcoal, place the charcoal into the bowl, pour 1 tsp ghee. Immediately cover the pot and wait until the smoky flavour has infused into the rice and chicken. Once done remove the charcoal out. Serve the Chicken Mandi with Tomato Chutney called Salata Hara..
Salata Hara
Ingredients
1 Big size Tomato chopped
2 tbsp Tomato Purée
1 Green Chilli
2 Garlic Cloves
Few Coriander leaves chopped
1 tsp Lime juice
Salt to taste
Method
Take a blender, add the tomato, green chilli, coriander leaves, garlic, salt, lime juice and tomato purée. Blend all the ingredients together into a paste. Serve this Chutney with Chicken Mandi.
