Yemeni Chicken Mandi Recipe | Baked Smoky Chicken & Rice
Learn how to bake authentic slow-cooked Yemeni Chicken Mandi rice infused with smoky flavour at home in your oven.
Servings: 3 People
Calories: 641kcal
Ingredients
Saffron brew
- 3 pinch saffron strands
- 2 tablespoon hot water
For Hawaij spice mix (you will not be using all of this. Store the remaining in a tight jar)
- 2 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 teaspoon cloves powder or allspice powder
- 2 teaspoon cardamom powder
For the chicken marinade
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon hawaij spice mix
- salt to taste
- 900 grams whole chicken with skin cleaned and pat dried
For rice
- 4 tablespoon cooking oil (mix of any neutral oil with olive oil)
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 2 cups basmati rice washed and drained
- 6 cloves
- 4 green cardamom
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 3 to 5 green chillies
- 3 cups water
- salt to taste
For smoking
- 1 piece charcoal
- 1 teaspoon ghee
For garnish
- 15 almonds blanched, sliced and fried
- lemon slices
For Zahawiq (Salata Hara)
- 2 large tomato
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 green chillies
- 1 pinch cumin seeds (optional)
- lemon juice to taste (optional)
- ½ bunch Fresh coriander leaves or parsley
- 1 sprig fresh mint leaves
- salt to taste
Instructions
Prepare ahead
- Brew the saffron by soaking it in hot water overnight or at least 2 hours ahead.3 pinch saffron strands, 2 tbsp hot water
- Prepare the hawaij spice mix by adding all the ingredients to a jar and mixing it thoroughly. Store in an airtight jar.2 tbsp cumin powder, 1 tbsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp black pepper powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp cloves powder, 2 tsp cardamom powder
- Make a paste of hawaij, butter or olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Marinate the chicken and refrigerate overnight or at least for an hour.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp hawaij spice mix, salt to taste, 900 grams whole chicken with skin
- Soak almonds in hot water, peel, slice, pat dry, fry in oil and keep aside. You may use store-bought sliced almonds.15 almonds
Prepare chicken mandi
- Preheat the oven to
200 °C - Heat oil in an oven-friendly wide-mouthed pot on the stovetop.4 tbsp cooking oil
- Fry the almonds until golden, remove them, and keep them aside for garnish.
- Add more oil if required and saute the onions until translucent and then switch off the stove.1 large onion
- Add the drained rice, whole spices and raisins, green chillies, water and salt to taste.2 cups basmati rice, 6 cloves, 4 green cardamom, 10 black peppercorns, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaf, 1 tbsp raisins, 3 to 5 green chillies, 3 cups water, salt to taste
- Place a wire rack over the pot or keep the pot under the wire rack in the oven or use a thick foil and cover the rice pot. If using the foil method, make a few holes all over the foil before you place the chicken over it.
- Place the marinated chicken over the wire or foil.
- Keep this on the lower level of the oven and bake for 20 mins.
- Reduce the temperature to 150 °C and bake for 1 hour and 30 mins or until the chicken dripping is reduced or stopped. If you use a wire rack, you may stir the rice once during the baking time but with the foil method that is not easy.
Smoke the chicken and rice
- Remove the chicken and rice from the oven.
- Start burning the charcoal piece.1 piece charcoal
- Fluff up the rice, place the chicken on the bed of rice, tuck a few lemon slices, and pour the saffron water all over the rice and chicken.lemon slices
- Place a foil cup or a small steel bowl inside the rice pot tucked well so that it doesn't topple. Add a splash of oil into the cup.1 tsp ghee
- Pick the fully burnt charcoal using tongs and carefully place it into the foil cup - it will start smoking up immediately so cover it with a tight lid or foil and you may also use a kitchen towel to trap the smoke inside. You may also place the chicken and rice back into the oven and do the smoking process inside the oven itself.
- Let it sit for at least 10 minutes to infuse the smoky flavour to the chicken and rice.
Prepare Zahawiq
- Meanwhile, prepare the dip by grinding all the ingredients together in a chopper and adjusting the flavours as per your taste.2 large tomato, 2 garlic cloves, 2 green chillies, 1 pinch cumin seeds, lemon juice to taste, ½ bunch Fresh coriander leaves, salt to taste, 1 sprig fresh mint leaves
- Serve Yemeni chicken mandi garnished with fried nuts and lemon slices with prepared zahawiq (Salata Hara), yoghurt, and some salad!
Notes
Have a question or looking for more tips? Please refer to the content above the recipe card. It often contains valuable explanations, tips, and ideas to enhance your cooking experience.
Nutrition
Calories: 641kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 31g
