Tender Yemeni Chicken Mandi

Chicken Mandi is a traditional Yemeni dish that features tender chicken halves cooked with fragrant spices, served over aromatic rice. This dish is known for its unique smoky flavour and vibrant presentation, making it a favourite in Middle Eastern cuisine.

Chicken Mandi combines marinated chicken with a variety of spices, cooked to perfection and served with flavourful rice. The addition of a smoky touch and a fresh Mandi sauce makes this dish both comforting and exotic, perfect for serving on special occasions.

Ingredients:

For Chicken Mandi:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into halves
• ¼ cup oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 bulb of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp green cardamom
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper powder
• 5 cups water
• 1 dry lemon

For Mandi Sauce:

• Handful of cherry tomatoes (or 1 large tomato)
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 green chillies
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• Small bunch of fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Water (optional, for adjusting sauce consistency)

For Fragrant Rice:

• 2 cups long grain rice, washed and soaked for 1 hour
• 1 cup water (from chicken broth)

For Saffron Mixture:

• 1 tsp saffron threads
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• Pinch of orange food colour (optional)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp chicken broth

For Garnish:

• Fried onions
• Toasted cashews

Instructions:

Prepare the Chicken Mandi:

1. Heat ¼ cup of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add chopped onions and garlic, and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in cloves, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, bay leaves, green cardamom, salt, and black pepper powder. Cook for 3 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add the chicken halves to the pan. Pour in 5 cups of water and bring to a boil.
4. Drop in the dry lemon. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cook covered for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it cool to room temperature.

Prepare the Mandi Sauce:

1. In a blender, combine cherry tomatoes (or one large tomato), roughly chopped onion, garlic cloves, green chillies, salt, pepper, and fresh coriander leaves. Blend until smooth.
2. Add fresh lemon juice and blend again. Adjust the consistency with water if needed. Set aside.

Prepare Fragrant Rice:

1. Strain and reserve 1 cup of water from the chicken broth.
2. In a separate pot, combine the soaked rice and 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

Prepare the Saffron Mixture:

1. In a small bowl, mix saffron threads, salt, pepper, orange food colour (if using), lemon juice, oil, and chicken broth. Set aside.

Assemble and Smoke:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit).
2. Brush the cooled chicken with the saffron mixture and place it in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
3. Once the rice is cooked, brush it with the saffron mixture as well.
4. Place the cooked chicken on top of the rice in a serving tray.
5. To infuse a smoky flavour, heat a small metal bowl over a flame, add a hot coal and a bit of oil, then cover the tray for 5 minutes.

Serve:

1. Garnish the Chicken Mandi with fried onions and toasted cashews.
2. Serve hot with the prepared Mandi sauce on the side.
3. Enjoy your flavourful Chicken Mandi with Fragrant Smoked Rice.

Tips for Perfect Chicken Mandi:

• Marination: Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes for deeper flavour.
• Control Heat: Keep the heat medium to avoid burning the spices, ensuring they release their full aroma without becoming bitter.
• Fresh Ingredients: Use fresh garlic and ginger paste for the best taste.
• Rice Cooking: Ensure the rice is soaked for at least an hour to achieve fluffy and separate grains.
• Saffron Mixture: For a richer colour and flavour, allow the saffron threads to steep in warm water before using.
• Smoking Technique: Ensure the tray is tightly covered when adding the smoky flavour for the best results.

Tender Yemeni Chicken Mandi

Chicken Mandi is a traditional Yemeni dish that features tender chicken halves cooked with fragrant spices, served over aromatic rice.

Author: Burmawala Kitchen Cooking Method: Grilling, Poaching, Roasting Cuisine: Middle Eastern Courses: Dinner, Lunch Recipe Keys: High Protein Non Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes

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Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 60 mins Total Time 1 hr 10 mins Difficulty: Beginner Servings: 4

Ingredients

Servings

For Chicken Mandi:

• 1 whole chicken (cut into halves)
• ¹⁄₄ cup oil
• 2 onions (chopped)
• 1 bulb of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp green cardamom
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper powder
• 5 cups water
• 1 dry lemon

For Mandi Sauce:

• Handful of cherry tomatoes (1 large tomato)
• 1 onion (roughly chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 green chillies
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• Small bunch of fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Water (optional, for adjusting sauce consistency)

For Fragrant Rice:

• 2 cups long grain rice (washed and soaked for 1 hour)
• 1 cup water (from chicken broth)

For Saffron Mixture:

• 1 tsp saffron threads
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• Pinch of orange food colour (optional)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp chicken broth

For Garnish:

• Fried onions
• Toasted cashews

Instructions

Video ON

Prepare the Chicken Mandi:

1. Heat ¼ cup of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add chopped onions and garlic, and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in cloves, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, bay leaves, green cardamom, salt, and black pepper powder. Cook for 3 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add the chicken halves to the pan. Pour in 5 cups of water and bring to a boil.
4. Drop in the dry lemon. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cook covered for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it cool to room temperature.

Prepare the Mandi Sauce:

1. In a blender, combine cherry tomatoes (or one large tomato), roughly chopped onion, garlic cloves, green chillies, salt, pepper, and fresh coriander leaves. Blend until smooth.
2. Add fresh lemon juice and blend again. Adjust the consistency with water if needed. Set aside.

Prepare Fragrant Rice:

1. Strain and reserve 1 cup of water from the chicken broth.
2. In a separate pot, combine the soaked rice and 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

Prepare the Saffron Mixture:

1. In a small bowl, mix saffron threads, salt, pepper, orange food colour (if using), lemon juice, oil, and chicken broth. Set aside.

Assemble and Smoke:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit).
2. Brush the cooled chicken with the saffron mixture and place it in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
3. Once the rice is cooked, brush it with the saffron mixture as well.
4. Place the cooked chicken on top of the rice in a serving tray.
5. To infuse a smoky flavour, heat a small metal bowl over a flame, add a hot coal and a bit of oil, then cover the tray for 5 minutes.

Serve:

1. Garnish the Chicken Mandi with fried onions and toasted cashews.
2. Serve hot with the prepared Mandi sauce on the side.
3. Enjoy your flavourful Chicken Mandi with Fragrant Smoked Rice.
   

Note

Marination: Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes for deeper flavour.

Control Heat: Keep the heat medium to avoid burning the spices, ensuring they release their full aroma without becoming bitter.

Fresh Ingredients: Use fresh garlic and ginger paste for the best taste.

Rice Cooking: Ensure the rice is soaked for at least an hour to achieve fluffy and separate grains.

Saffron Mixture: For a richer colour and flavour, allow the saffron threads to steep in warm water before using.

Smoking Technique: Ensure the tray is tightly covered when adding the smoky flavour for the best results.

Keywords: Chicken Mandi, Chicken Mandi Recipe, Arabian chicken mandi recipe