Name: Mandi Biryani
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Ingredients: Ingredients; 2 cups basmati rice; 500 grams of chicken pieces; 1 teaspoon turmeric powder (for rice); 2 tbsp. cumin seeds; 5 to 6 cardamom pieces; 1 cinnamon stick; 4 cloves; 2 star anise; 1 tbsp. black peppercorns; 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon turmeric powder; 1 mace; 1 dried black lemon; 2 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoon mandi spice mix; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 3 tablespoon cooking oil; For the mandi rice:; 1- piece cinnamon stick; 4 green cardamom; 5 cloves; 2 bay leaves; Turmeric powder; salt; 2 or 3 pieces of chicken with bones or 1 cup chicken stock; 1 dry brown lemon (substitute - lemon juice); 2 cups of freshwater (to cook rice); 2 cups chicken stock

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Mandi is a traditional dish originated in Yemen consists of meat and rice cooked in a pit resembling a clay oven or tandoor. The word Mandi is derived from the Arabian word ‘Nudaa’ meaning ‘Dew’ owing to the soft texture of the meat.

I had the opportunity to taste this dish in Dubai during a trip in 2018. In this dish the meat is cooked separately in a tandoor and piled on top of the rice cooked with spices before serving. The dish is served in a big plate on a short legged table or chowki and customers are supposed to sit on the floor laid with carpets and cushions and eat. A sweet date chutney was served as a dessert.

Unlike the regular biryani the meat is marinated and roasted in Tandoor with the skin and the rice is cooked with the spices in chicken broth. The preparation is mild spicy with little or no chilies used. I brought the Arabian spices like zatar spice mix and the preserved limes, black lime and brown lime from Dubai. I tried making mandi biryani at home and it came out awesome delicious.

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice
500 grams of chicken pieces
1 teaspoon turmeric powder (for rice)

For the mandi spice mix:

2 tbsp. cumin seeds
5 to 6 cardamom pieces
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
2 star anise
1 tbsp. black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 mace
1 dried black lemon

For marinating chicken:

2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon mandi spice mix
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoon cooking oil

For the mandi rice:

1-piece cinnamon stick
4 green cardamom
5 cloves
2 bay leaves
Turmeric powder
salt
2 or 3 pieces of chicken with bones or 1 cup chicken stock
1 dry brown lemon (substitute – lemon juice)
2 cups of freshwater (to cook rice)
2 cups chicken stock

For cooking chicken

1 medium onion sliced
1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp. mandi spice mix
1 teaspoon salt
1 tomato pureed
1 green chili

Preparation

Cooking chicken

Grind the ingredients of the mandi spice mix into a coarse powder.
Marinate the chicken with the spices at least for half an hour.
Fry the onions in hot oil
Add 1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste and sauté.
Add tomato puree and mix
Add the spice powder
Add salt
cook till the spices are fried nicely.
Add the marinated chicken and cook.

Baking

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Lay the chicken pieces in tray with 1 tbsp. of butter .
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes at 200 degrees till the skin is crisp.

Cooking rice

Make the chicken stock first by boiling 2 cups of water with chicken pieces with bones.
Boil rice with the whole spices and 2 cups stock and 2 cups of water
Drain the rice when done.

Assembling

Stir the rice with the fat and drippings from the roasted chicken
Top the rice with the grilled chicken
Serve with raita