Chicken Mandy Yemeni Saudi Food

ARABIAN CHICKEN MANDI RECIPE -YEMENI STYLE RICE & CHICKEN

Steps:

• To begin making the Arabian Chicken Mandi recipe, firstly we will prepare the Mandi spice powder.
• To make the Mandi spice powder, dry roast the cardamom pods, cloves, black pepper, nutmeg dry ginger powder and bay leaves in a on on medium heat for 4-6 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, and allow it to cool.
• Transfer the spices in a mixer jar, and grind into a fine powder using a mixer grinder.
• Heat a large saucepan on medium heat and add oil.
• Once the oil is hot, add finely chopped onion and sauté till translucent . This will take about 2-3 minutes.
• To the softened onions, add the ginger paste and garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell goes away.
• Next, add bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and black pepper and mix everything well.
• In a mixer jar combine, tomato and green chillies and grind into a puree and add it to the pan.
• When the oil starts to separate, add the chicken and mix. Add 4 cups of water and the Mandi spice powder according to your taste. Mix, cover and let it cook for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat.
• We will furthermore bake the chicken, to get a crispy skin.
• In a small mixing bowl, add soft butter and Mandi spice powder and some salt, mix well and keep aside.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade. Remove the chicken from the stock and place it onto a baking tray and brush with butter and mandi spice powder mixture.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the skin of the chicken turns to a nice golden brown colour.
• Wash and soak basmati rice for at least 20 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a large pan on medium heat, and fry the drained rice, stirring continuously for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add this pan roasted rice to the chicken stock. Now slide a large piece of aluminium foil on top of the saucepan and then cover it with the lid. Cook the rice on medium low flame for about 10 minutes.
• Remove the lid and check if there is any trace of water left. If water is left, then cover and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Now fluff the rice with a fork .
• Take ghee in a small bowl and place it in the middle of the rice.
• Heat a piece of charcoal on direct flame until it is sred hot, this will take about 5 minutes.
• Once the charcoal is burning hot, place it in the bowl of ghee that is in the rice. Immediately slide back the aluminium foil and secure with lid.
• Open it only at the time of serving, as it gives a nice smokey flavor to the rice. To serve, spread rice onto a large serving tray and place a piece of baked chicken on the top.
• Serve Arabian Chicken Mandi with Raw Mango raita and Pickled onions for a delicious weeknight dinner.

CHICKEN MANDI RECIPE (YEMENI SMOKY CHICKEN AND RICE DISH)

Steps:

• Mix all the marinade ingredients together and rub all over the chicken, getting under the skin too. Be careful not to break the skin. Leave to marinate for a minimum 30 minutes, overnight if you want to and are organised!
• Turn the oven on to 220˚C (430˚F).
• Heat the 2 Tbsp of olive oil in an oven proof dish on medium heat, and fry the dry spices for 30 seconds. This will be the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves and black peppercorns.
• Add the chopped onions and whole green chillies and fry for 2 minutes.
• Tip in the rice and stir well, coating the rice grain with the flavoured oil. Do this for about 20 seconds.
• Add the water and stock and bring to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, turn the heat off and transfer to the oven.
• Place the rice on the lowest shelf of your oven, making sure there is space above for the chicken. See the video.
• Place the chicken either on the next shelf above, or on a wired rack that will sit on your pot. As the chicken cooks, the fat and juices will drip onto the rice.
• Cook on this high heat for 10 minutes, then, without opening the door, lower the heat down to 190˚C (375˚F). Now leave it to cook for another 1 1/2 hours or until the chicken is done. You will know the chicken is done, when the skin around the end of the legs have shrunk and pulled back.
• While the chicken and rice are cooking, let's make our liquid saffron. Pound the saffron to a fine powder with a pinch of salt.
• Add the hot water, stir, and leave aside until needed.
• When the chicken is done, turn the oven off, open the oven door, and leave it slightly ajar. This is to stop the chicken from cooking further, and also starts our resting time for the chicken. Remember, all roast meats need a resting time after cooking, and before slicing, so that the juices can seep back to all the fibres, giving you moist meat.
• Place a small piece of charcoal on the stove top, resting on a trivet, if you have one. Leave it to burn on a low heat for 5-10 minutes until it's white hot (see video). You don't need to turn it, which will only save you a minute or two.
• Get the rice out, drizzle the liquid saffron and the lemon juice, and scatter the lemon zest all over. Fluff the rice with a fork, to mix it all up. Cover, and place the rice back in the oven, leaving the door slightly ajar. This will allow the crispy rice to absorb some moisture and soften slightly.
• If you have a sensitive smoke alarm nearby, close your kitchen door!
• Take the lid off your rice and set aside. Open the oven door fully.
• Pour your oil into the ramekin and immediately place the burning hot coal into the oil filled ramekin.
• Very, very quickly, place the smoking ramekin in the oven, on the bottom shelf if there's space, if not, any shelf, as the oven will smoke up. Shut the door completely, and leave to smoke for 10 minutes.
• Carve the chicken and serve with the rice, along with some yoghurt on the side.
• Click here for Maqluba

CHICKEN MANDY (YEMENI, SAUDI)

Steps:

• NOTE: YOU NEED 1 bukhoor coal cut into 4 pieces.
• Make sure the skin is left on the chicken. This is one of the keys for cooking mandy because the skin produces natural fat to cook in the spices. This is why we do not use an oil. Rub mandy spice and sea salt, to taste all over chicken pieces. Place in a non-stick saute pan (or a well seasoned cast iron pan is what I use), cook chicken uncovered with no oil until tender and brown. Place cooked chicken on a plate reserving the pan remnants in the pan as they are.
• In a separate pan saute finely chopped onion with 1 tbs butter until tender. Add the whole bruised cardamom pods, cloves, chicken stock, sea salt, to taste, and drained Basmati rice; stir. Bring to a full boil add chopped tomatoes then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook (do not remove lid) for 15 minutes or as long as you cook your rice usually.
• After the chicken and rice are done pour the rice into the saute pan used to cook the chicken, mix around if transferring back to the other pot which I suggest if you use a cast iron pan like I do. Place the onion shell bowl into the middle of the rice. If you make a indent in the rice it is easier. Melt butter and pour into onion bowl. Carefully place chicken around the pan slightly close to the onion bowl. Add a hot bit of coal into the melted butter and quickly shut the lid. Allow to smoke for 15 minutes adding a new coal as needed. You may use 3 or 4 pieces of the same bukhoor coal.
• Remove onion bowl carefully and discard.
• Enjoy!