Chicken Mandi (Yemeni Rice) - Hinz Cooking - A Food Blog with Simple and Easy Dinner Recipes (2024)

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Chicken Mandi Recipe is the most popular baked Yemeni rice with chicken that people love to make and serve on festive occasions. I would say, the ultimate taste of Arabic chicken and rice is pentrated in Yemeni Mandi. Family favorite dish of Arabian cuisine.

Looking for Middle eastern dinner recipes?Check out, Chicken Kabsa, Shish Tawook, Falafel, Saudi Albaik Chicken, and Chicken Maqluba. You will surely love these recipes to add value to your dinner table.

What is Mandi?

Mandi(مندي‎) is the most popular dish of Arabic cuisine. It's a traditional dish from Yemen prepared with rice and meat by using traditional mandi powder (Hawaij). The dish is cooked underground tandoor which makes it distinguished among other rice recipes.

The word "Mandi" basically represent the Arabic word 'Nada' which means 'Dew' that depicts the moist and tender meat.

As the dish is so popular due to its unique taste and aroma so every region makes it in its own way by adding some variation in spice but overall the method of preparing mandi is similar. As the mandi belongs to Yemen but the other Arabian regions like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and Turkey make the best mandi flavor.

You can make Mandi in your own kitchen using oven or on stovetop. Only need to incorporate the right technique to prepare best Mandi flavor. It's been made with Basmati or Jasmine rice and meat (chicken, lamb, goat, or camel).

Traditional Mandi Cooking

Traditionally people make an underground oven by digging a big pit over the ground. Ignited with coal or most preferred with wood (Samer or Gadha) and kept the Mandi meat and rice inside and cover with clay from all sides for 5 to 6 hours. People still making Mandi in the same way as it has the best taste and aroma.

Over time, people make it in the oven as most of the restaurants are preparing Mandi to serve lunch and dinner and oven-baked Mandi has more or less a similar flavor.

It's a dish that Arabic people serve on special occasions like Eid or weddings and festivals.

Soft, tender, and juicy meat in Mandi give a perfect bite with smoky rice. The addition of raisins and almonds makes it more delicious. It's a family favorite recipe for dinner or lunch.

Mandi Vs. Kabsa

Mandi and Kabsa both are Arabian rice and meat recipes but cooked with different methods. Many people relate it but it's so much different in terms of cooking. Mandi cooked in oven/tandoor with special mandi powder called Hawaij.

Kabsa prepared in a curry broth using dried lemon, tomato paste, and Arabic spices along with meat. When the meat gets tender, it's been removed and cooked in the oven, and rice prepared in stock over the stove.

Kabsa is brown in color while the Mandi has a signature saffron yellow color that makes it distinguished.

How to Make Mandi

The making of Chicken Mandi in the oven is simple and easy to make recipe that anybody can easily prepare in home kitchen. You just need to make homemade Hawaij powder or spice mix that super easy to make at home otherwise you can take it from the store. In the recipe, you can check Hawaij ingredients and add them to a bowl and mix well. It will be ready in 5 minutes.

1) Prepare Hawaij (Mandi Spice Mix)

Hawaij is the form of the mixture in Arabic. It's a special Mandi powder or spice mix that used to marinate chicken and used in mandi rice cooking. If you want you can take store-bought Hawaij but homemade is the best.

I have taken all the spices in powder form. If you are taking whole spices then grind it to make a fine powder.

Here are the ingredients to prepare Hawaij at Home

Saffron Powder - ⅓ teaspoon - Will add the signature yellow color to Mandi rice.
Turmeric Powder - ½ teaspoon - Also add yellow pale color and give it savory taste.
Salt - 1 teaspoon + Black Pepper Powder - ½ teaspoon - Make it salty with pepper flavor.
Coriander Powder - 1 teaspoon - Recommended ingredient of Hawaij
Cumin Powder - 1 Tsp - A heaped teaspoon of cumin powder will make the difference in spice mix.
Cinnamon Powder - ½ Tsp - Essential to add as it will add the taste and aroma of cinnamon.
Chili Powder - ½ Tsp - It's optional! you can use paprika if you want otherwise leave it.
Garlic Powder - ½ Tsp - It's a clove powder that will add flavor to spices.
Cardamom Powder - ½ Tsp - It will add more taste to spice!

You can use these spices to make homemade Hawaij spice mix. It will serve with ½ KG Mandi serving. If you want to make more then multiply the quantity accordingly.

Can I Store Hawaij For Later Use? Yes, you can! Store in a air tight jar and keep it in your pantry shelve. It will last for 2 months. If you want to extend shelf life then keep it in refrigerator for 6 to 8 months.

2) Marinate The Chicken

Marinate the chicken for 4 hours with Mandi spice mix and drizzle olive oil over it to make it more juicy, moist, and tender after baking.

3) Prepare Rice

In the same way, soak the rice for 30 minutes. Now in a heated pan, add oil and saute chopped onions. As onion becomes translucent then add crushed ginger garlic and saute for few more minutes. Add Mandi spice mix and give it a good mix. Turn of heat and add a handful of raisins to make it fluffy.

4) Baking

Now In a baking dish, add soaked rice and pour all the sauteed onion mixture. Add salt and give it a gentle mix. Now add hot boiling water and mix well. Cover the pan using aluminum foil. Mark the aluminium foil to make a vessel for steam.

Now it's ready to go in the oven. Preheat the oven at 250°C or 482°F. Bake for 01 Hour.

Broil the chicken (heating from upside) before 15 minutes to get the best color on chicken.

Now it's ready to take out after an hour. Serve in a Mandi platter. First make a rice layer then place chicken over it. Garnish with cilantro and almonds.

Now it's ready to eat! Enjoy!

A family favorite and most delicious recipe of Arabic Cuisine! Here I am trying to make this recipe in an easy way that everybody can easily and quickly make in their home kitchen.

Chicken Mandi Video

Watch - How Did I Make It?
I am so happy to share this delicious and family favorite 'Chicken Mandi' recipe that will help you to quickly prepare in the oven. Arabic people call it "مندي الدجاج". So if you are looking at how to make mandi at home the have a look at a video recipe that will help you get quick steps.

Share this recipe with your family and friends. It would be great if you leave your feedback in the comment box. If you make this recipe at home then share a picture with the hashtag#hinzcooking

Easy Tips

1. Make sure the chicken is not watery at the time of marination. If chicken releases water then evaporate it while baking. Chicken need to be fully cooked, moist, and tender.
2. Hawaij spice mix can be prepared with whole spices. If using whole spices then grind it to make a powder.
3. To get the golden brown chicken, broil it for 15 minutes.
4. Make sure to maintain the accurate ratio of soaked rice and water to bake in the oven.
5. Turmeric and Saffron powder will add the signature yellowish color to Mandi.
6. Avoid adding extra oil/fat in Mandi otherwise, it will be too heavy to eat.
7. You can adjust the salt quantity accordingly as per your taste.
8. Gently remove the aluminum foil right after baking as it will be steamy. Give it 10 minutes to open the foil.
9. You can garnish dry fruits as per your choice like peanuts, almonds, and black raisins.

Serving Idea

There is a special mandi sauce or dip called Zahawig in Yemen, Dakoos in Saudi Arabia. It's a mix of fresh tomatoes, garlic, lemon, chilies, salt, and coriander. Gather all ingredients in a blend and give it a good blend and it will be ready to serve. You can also serve the same sauce with other Arabic rice and meat; like Kabsa, Maqluba, Madfoon, Mandi, and Bukhari Rice.

Serve Chicken Mandi with Dakous (Arabic Tomato Sauce)

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