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Chicken Mandi! A middle eastern inspired Yemini dish made with chicken and rice, cooked with Arabic spices!
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Chicken Mandi
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 10 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
 

Chicken Mandi! A Middle Eastern inspired Yemini dish made with chicken and rice, cooked with Arabic spices!

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Arabic, Kerala
Keyword: arabic, chicken mandi, mandi
Servings: 6
Author: Akhila
Ingredients
For Hawaj / Mandi masala
  • 1 dry lemon
  • 2 tbsp coriander seeds/powder
  • 2 tbsp black pepper corns
  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 large cinnamon stick
  • ½ tsp cloves
  • 4 cardamoms
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
For chicken marination
  • 6 chicken leg quarters (bone-in, skinless)
  • 3 tbsp mandi masala
  • 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 2 tbsp any oil
  • Salt (as required)
For the Salata Hara / Arabic Tomato Salsa
  • 3 tomatoes (roughly chopped)
  • a handful of cilantro leaves
  • 2 green chilies
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ of a small lemon (squeezed)
  • Salt (as required)
For the mandi
  • 3 cups basmati rice (washed and drained, no soaking required)
  • 5¼ cups of water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
  • 1 large carrot (sliced into sticks)
  • 2 green chilies (slit)
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 2 dried black lemons
  • 1 magic chicken cube
  • 1 tbsp mandi masala
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds (optional, garnish)
  • Salt (as required)
Instructions

  1. Preparation of mandi masala: Dry roast all the ingredients listed for Mandi masala, until they turn aromatic. Once cooled, grind to fine powder.

  2. Preparation of chicken marinade: Prepare the marinade by mixing together the ingredients listed for chicken marination. Make gashes on the chicken, marinade it, and keep aside for 30 minutes or overnight (preferred).

  3. Preparation of Salata Hara: Grind all the listed ingredients together. Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your choice.

  4. Preparation of mandi: In a pan, heat some oil on a medium flame and add bay leaves, cinnamon stick and black pepper corns. Saute for 2 mins.

  5. Add the sliced onions and salt, sauté until the onions turns translucent. Add golden raisins and carrots. Sauté for 2 more mins and turn off the flame.
  6. Preheat oven to 350-degree F.
  7. Into an oven safe pan, add the rice and transfer the above prepared onion carrot mix. Add butter, dry lemon, magic chicken cube (crushed between your palm), 1 tbsp prepared mandi masala and water. Add salt and check for the seasoning.
  8. Top the pan with a grill rack. Layer the marinated chicken and wrap tightly with aluminum foil.
  9. Cook in the oven for 30 mins. Carefully unwrap the foil, flip the chicken, wrap the foil again tightly, and cook for another 20 mins.
  10. Meanwhile, roast slivered almonds in a pan with a little ghee/butter, until it turns nicely roasted and browned. Keep aside.
  11. Turn off the oven and remove the oven safe pan. The rice would be perfectly cooked by now, and what remains is pan frying the chicken.
  12. Unwrap and discard the foil. Remove the grill rack and close the pan with a lid. Transfer the chicken from the grill rack to a pan and pan fry the chicken on both sides until the chicken is cooked perfectly, browned and reached an internal temperature of 165-degree F (for boneless pieces) or 175-degree F (for bone-in pieces).
  13. Transfer the chicken back to the rice and top the dish with the roasted slivered almonds. Close the lid and allow it sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.