Homemade Chicken Mandi Recipe

People who move to other countries for academic, work, or other purposes often face many social and economic challenges. But food is one thing that helps Asian women in diaspora communities maintain connection and take pride in their ethnic identity. People from the south Asian community grew up enjoying colorful, flavorful dishes with family, which created a sense of community. One way to maintain this culture wherever you are is by learning to make different south Asian cuisines authentically. You can start by trying the following Arabian chicken mandi recipe.

What Is Chicken Mandi?

This is an aromatic and flavorful meal made of rice topped with meat, in this case, chicken, cooked with mandi powder. Mandi means dew in Arabic, signifying the dewy texture of the meat. The dish originated from Yemen and later spread to the gulf nations and India. It’s a popular dish in the Arabian communities, served at weddings and family gatherings. Most restaurants today also serve chicken mandi across the also globe.

How Was Chicken Mandi Traditionally Prepared?

In older days, people prepared chicken mandi in a tandoor, a clay oven. They would dig a hole underground, fill it with hot coal, put in a pot of mandi then cover the hole with sand. The rice pot went to the bottom of the oven to allow it to cook with the dripping meat juice, giving it an outstanding taste. This underground oven allowed the chicken mandi to cook slowly for hours, giving it a rich smoky flavor.

Since this seemed like a strenuous cooking method, they reserved the dish for special occasions. The locals served chicken mandi on a big communal plate on a floor covered with a carpet. Each person would receive a plastic plate for serving the food. They would then sit in a circle and eat the food with their bare hand. But today’s restaurants provide a fork and knives for mandi. The other good thing is that you can now prepare the dish at home using a stove and oven.

How to Make Chicken Mandi Recipe

You will need rice, spices, and chicken to prepare this spectacular dish. The preparation process is in three phases, so ensure you don’t miss out on anything.

Mandi Spice Powder

The key ingredient in this dish is the unique spice mix. You can roast whole spices, blend them, or get them in powder form and mix them. However, grinding the ingredients intensifies the flavor. They include:

Black Pepper

Black pepper gives the spice powder a spicy, earthy, hot flavor. It’s also a great manganese source that helps with bone health and metabolism.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon gives the dish sweet, spicy, and citrus notes. This spice is loaded with antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Cardamom

Cardamom adds depth and warmth to the food. The spice can treat bad breath, lower blood pressure, and help with digestive problems.

Coriander

Coriander will give the dish some citrusy, nutty, and earthy tones. It’s rich in immune-boosting antioxidants.

Cumin

Cumin is slightly sweet with a nutty element and warming flavor making it ideal for any savory dish. It can help prevent high blood pressure and heart diseases.

Cloves

The intense cloves’ flavor and a deep sweet aroma make them a vital part of the mandi spices. They have antimicrobial properties.

Turmeric

Tumeric gives chicken mandi earthy, peppery essence and rich color. It has anti-inflammatory properties, improves arthritis, and prevents Alzheimer’s.

Red Chilli

This is an optional ingredient that enhances mandi spice’s overall hotness. It’s very beneficial in digestion and cognitive functions.

Though not included in the traditional recipe, you may add other spices like ginger and nutmeg. Let’s dive into the Arabian chicken mandi recipe.

Ingredients

• Two small cinnamon sticks

• 1tbsp cumin seeds

• 1tsp coriander seeds

• Three cloves

• Two cardamom sticks

• One turmeric

• 1 tsp black pepper

• One dried red chili

Directions

1. Dry roast the whole spices on medium heat for about four to six minutes in small batches. You can start with the coriander, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, and black pepper, then put them aside. Then, add turmeric and cloves.

2. Turn off the heat and let the spices cool off completely.

3. Transfer them into a grinder and grind them into a fine powder.

4. Store the spices in an air-tight container.

The Chicken

Use a whole chicken for this recipe and start by marinating it.

Ingredients

• Whole chicken

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 2 tbsp mandi spices

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp garlic paste

• 2 tbsp salted butter

• 4 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl to make a thick paste.

2. Smear the marinade mix over the chicken thoroughly.

3. Cover it and leave it for about an hour to absorb the flavors. You can also refrigerate the marinated chicken overnight for better results.

Cooking the Chicken

In ancient times, they used to leave the meat to cook overnight. You can achieve a replicate chewy, juicy, dewy textured chicken using the following recipe.

Ingredients

• Marinated chicken

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to about 205°C or 400°F.

2. Cover the marinated chicken with foil paper, then toss it into the oven for 35 minutes.

3. Take off the aluminum foil and bake the chicken for another 25 minutes until it nicely browns and crisps. A big chicken requires more cooking time, so adjust the time as needed.

4. Remove the chicken from the oven once done and set it aside.

How to Cook the Rice

Ingredients

• One big chopped onion

• Salt to taste

• 3 tbsp of olive oil

• One cinnamon stick

• Three to four crushed garlic

• 1 tbsp ginger paste

• One green chili

• 1 ½ tsp mandi mixed spice

• 3 cups basmati rice

• One chopped tomato

• ¼ tsp saffron

• Two bay leaves

• 4½ cups chicken broth

• Sliced almonds and raisins

Directions

1. Soak the rice for about 20 minutes, then rinse it thoroughly.

2. Heat olive oil under medium heat in a saucepan.

3. Add chopped onions to the hot oil and sauté it for about two to three minutes till it turns translucent.

4. Add the crushed garlic and ginger paste, then sauté them for 30 seconds, till the raw smell disappears.

5. Add the mandi spice, cinnamon stick, and bay leave and stir for two minutes.

6. Put the tomato and diced chili into a blender, grind them and add the puree into the pan.

7. Add the rice into the pan and continuously stir to combine it with the spices for about ten minutes.

8. Pour the chicken broth and salt, cover the rice, and turn the heat to medium-low for about 15 minutes.

9. After the time elapses, turn off the heat, put the rice aside, and fluff it with a fork.

The Charcoal Procedure

The last step involves smoking rice and chicken in charcoal to get the smoky flavor.

Directions

1. Place a charcoal briquette on your gas stove for about five minutes until it turns red hot.

2. Cover aluminum foil lightly with oil, use it to make a double-layered pouch, and place the hot charcoal inside. Place the hot charcoal at the center of the rice bowl.

3. Place the cooked chicken over the rice with charcoal, cover it with another layer of aluminum foil then the bowl’s lid.

4. Leave it for about ten minutes or till serving time to get the perfect smoky flavored rice.

5. Serve the rice in a large tray, then place the chicken on top. You can garnish the meal with raisins or almonds.

Tips to Note When Making Chicken Mandi

If you want a more spicy taste, add the spices in melted butter and smear on the chicken before roasting.

Although you can use other oils, extra virgin olive oil gives the rice a fantastic flavor. Use white onions for this recipe and freshly crushed garlic.

Use bay leaves to add a floral taste to the rice as it cooks. You should remove them from the rice before serving to maintain its appearance. Include saffron in your rice to intensify the earthy floral taste.

The best rice to use for this dish is basmati rice since it’s rice and fluffy, and its nutty flavor perfectly blends with other spices. If you have some left-over chicken broth or stock, you can use it for cooking the rice.

You can serve the chicken mandi with pepper soup, tomato salsa, Arabic salad, pickled onion, or raw mango raita. It also pairs well with a glass of lemonade mint.

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