Yemeni Chicken Mandi Recipe | Baked Smoky Chicken & Rice

Ingredients

• 3 pinch saffron strands
• 2 tbsp hot water
• 2 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp black pepper powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp cloves powder (or allspice powder)
• 2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter (optional)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp hawaij spice mix
• salt to taste
• 900 grams whole chicken with skin (cleaned and pat dried)
• 4 tbsp 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 tbsp raisins
• 3 to 5 green chillies
• 3 cups water
• salt to taste
• 1 piece charcoal
• 1 tsp ghee
• 15 almonds (blanched, sliced and fried)
• lemon slices
• 2 large tomato
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 green chillies
• 1 pinch cumin seeds ((optional))
• lemon juice to taste ((optional))
• 1/2 bunch Fresh coriander leaves (or parsley)
• 1 sprig fresh mint leaves
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Prepare ahead ---

2. 2

   Prepare ahead: Brew the saffron by soaking it in hot water overnight or at least 2 hours ahead.

3. 3

   Prepare ahead: Prepare the hawaij spice mix by adding all the ingredients to a jar and mixing it thoroughly. Store in an airtight jar.

4. 4

   Prepare ahead: 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.

5. 5

   Prepare ahead: Soak almonds in hot water, peel, slice, pat dry, fry in oil and keep aside. You may use store-bought sliced almonds.

6. 6

   --- Prepare chicken mandi ---

7. 7

   Prepare chicken mandi: Preheat the oven to 200 °C

8. 8

   Prepare chicken mandi: Heat oil in an oven-friendly wide-mouthed pot on the stovetop.

9. 9

   Prepare chicken mandi: Fry the almonds until golden, remove them, and keep them aside for garnish.

10. 10

    Prepare chicken mandi: Add more oil if required and saute the onions until translucent and then switch off the stove.

11. 11

    Prepare chicken mandi: Add the drained rice, whole spices and raisins, green chillies, water and salt to taste.

12. 12

    Bake chicken mandi: 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.

13. 13

    Bake chicken mandi: Place the marinated chicken over the wire or foil.

14. 14

    Bake chicken mandi: Keep this on the lower level of the oven and bake for 20 mins.

15. 15

    Bake chicken mandi: 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.

16. 16

    --- Smoke the chicken and rice ---

17. 17

    Smoke the chicken and rice: Remove the chicken and rice from the oven.

18. 18

    Smoke the chicken and rice: Start burning the charcoal piece.

19. 19

    Smoke the chicken and rice: 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.

20. 20

    Smoke the chicken and rice: 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.

21. 21

    Smoke the chicken and rice: 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.

22. 22

    Smoke the chicken and rice: Let it sit for at least 10 minutes to infuse the smoky flavour to the chicken and rice.

23. 23

    --- Prepare Zahawiq ---

24. 24

    Prepare Zahawiq: Meanwhile, prepare the dip by grinding all the ingredients together in a chopper and adjusting the flavours as per your taste.

25. 25

    Serve mandi: Serve Yemeni chicken mandi garnished with fried nuts and lemon slices with prepared zahawiq (Salata Hara), yoghurt, and some salad!