From هند أسامة 's kitchen in Saudi Arabia.

Originally published on Cookpad Saudi Arabia as مندي الدجاج, with US measurements.

Chicken Mandi

Name: Chicken Mandi
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Chicken breasts or thighs, as much as you like; 1 large onion; 3 cups basmati rice (about 600 grams); ☆ Spices:; Salt, to taste; 2 large garlic cloves; 1 teaspoon (not heaping) black pepper; 1 tablespoon ground cilantro (coriander); 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon curry powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and allspice; 1/2 teaspoon kabsa spice mix, if you have it (optional); 1 pinch citric acid, or you can use a squeeze of lemon juice instead; 1 tablespoon vinegar; 2 cardamom pods; 2 whole cloves; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 bay leaves

هند أسامة @cook_4894713

أمريكا

I absolutely love mandi, and this is my first time making it. Honestly, I was searching online for a mandi recipe and found a nice one, but it seemed like it would take too much time and effort. So, I just took a few ideas for the spices and method, and made up the rest myself. I didn’t really follow any outside recipe—just went with what felt right 😂😂😂😂. It turned out amazing, just like eating at a restaurant, and my guests loved it too! I hope you’ll enjoy it if you try it 😉.

هند أسامة @cook_4894713

Saved

Ingredients

Chicken breasts or thighs, as much as you like
1large onion
3 cupsbasmati rice (about 600 grams)
☆ Spices:
Salt, to taste
2large garlic cloves
1 teaspoon(not heaping) black pepper
1 tablespoonground cilantro (coriander)
1 teaspoonturmeric
1 teaspooncurry powder
1/2 teaspoonground nutmeg and allspice
1/2 teaspoonkabsa spice mix, if you have it (optional)
1 pinchcitric acid, or you can use a squeeze of lemon juice instead
1 tablespoonvinegar
2cardamom pods
2whole cloves
1cinnamon stick
2bay leaves

Saved

Steps

1

Chop the large onion into small pieces and grate the two garlic cloves. Place them in a deep pot with 4 tablespoons of oil and sauté until golden. Add the chicken and all the spices except the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves (add those after adding water). Stir the spices with the chicken, then add enough water to fill the pot a little over halfway. Add the remaining spices and cook until the chicken is done.
2

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot. In a large pot, add 3 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of ghee. Add the rice and stir. You’ll notice the rice grains turn slightly white as you sauté. After about 5 minutes of stirring, add the chicken broth to the rice. You may need to add extra water for the rice.
3

After adding the water, add the following spices: a pinch of black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon each of cilantro, salt, turmeric, and curry powder, a pinch of kabsa spice mix, vinegar, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir them into the rice.
4

Cover the pot tightly. The steam and pressure will help soften the rice without needing to add more water, and will keep the color and flavor intact.
5

Meanwhile, prepare the chicken. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or greased with oil. Brush the chicken with the following sauce: 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon vinegar, a squeeze of lemon juice, cilantro, black pepper, curry powder, turmeric, salt, kabsa spice mix, and 1 tablespoon water. Mix well and coat the chicken on all sides.
6

Bake in the oven with the broiler on (top heat only) for 17 minutes. Open the oven, flip the chicken, and bake for another 15–17 minutes until golden. Don’t let it brown too much—keep an eye on it. (In the photo, I let it brown a bit more because I like it that way, but the correct way is as described above.) 😊
7

To give the mandi a smoky flavor, place the chicken back in the pot. Make a few holes in the rice with a spoon, just in the center. Put a small dish with 1 tablespoon oil in the middle, then add a small, hot piece of charcoal. Immediately cover the pot for 7 minutes to let the smoke infuse, then remove the lid and get the rice ready to serve. Enjoy!
8

Serve as a main dish with garlic sauce, green salad, and hot sauce. (I served it on a very large platter!) 😅😋 Perfect for a hearty meal 😉.
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