Chicken Mandi

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 60 mins

Total Time 1 hr 30 mins

Category: Biryani & Rice

Difficulty: Intermediate

Description

An authentic and aromatic Arabian-style chicken mandi featuring tender, spiced chicken served over perfectly fluffy, yellow-infused basmati rice, accompanied by a traditional spicy tomato chutney.

Ingredients

Chicken (whole or large pieces)
Basmati rice (soaked for 30 minutes)
Mandi spice blend (freshly ground whole spices, black pepper, cumin, coriander seeds, etc.)
Saffron water (or yellow food coloring)
Onions (sliced)
Butter and oil/olive oil
Garlic and ginger
Citric acid (or lemon juice)
Water / chicken stock
For Chutney: tomatoes, green chillies, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper

Instructions

1
Dry roast the whole spices briefly on a hot pan, then grind them into a fine powder.
2
Prepare a marinade using the ground spices, garlic, ginger, oil/butter, saffron water, and a pinch of citric acid or lemon juice.
3
Apply the marinade all over the chicken pieces, piercing them with a fork for deep flavor absorption.
4
Cook the chicken in water/stock on low heat (or pressure cook for 12-15 minutes) until tender, then separate the cooked chicken from the stock and lightly pan-fry or sear it until golden.
5
In a large pot, melt butter and oil, fry sliced onions until golden, then add the soaked basmati rice and sauté gently.
6
Measure and pour the reserved chicken stock over the rice (ensuring water level is about 1 inch above the rice), add remaining saffron water, and bring to a boil.
7
Cover tightly and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes until the rice is fluffy and fully cooked.
8
Prepare the spicy tomato chutney by blending tomatoes, green chillies, garlic, salt, and lemon juice.
9
Serve the aromatic rice on a large platter, top with the golden seared chicken, and serve alongside the spicy chutney.

Keywords: chicken mandi recipe, arabic chicken mandi, authentic mandi rice, chicken mandi pakistani style, middle eastern rice dish, cooked by sabeen