Chicken Mandi
A fragrant Indian chicken and rice dish where marinated chicken is simmered with spices and layered with basmati rice, finished with gentle steaming and an optional smoky aroma.
Steps
- 1
Clean and cut the chicken; marinate briefly with salt, turmeric and a little oil.
- 2
Rinse and soak basmati rice 20–30 minutes.
- 3
In a large pot, heat ghee/oil. Fry chopped onion until golden. Add minced garlic and green chillies and fry 1–2 min.
- 4
Add whole spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves) and ground spices (coriander, cumin). Stir until fragrant.
- 5
Add chicken pieces, brown lightly and add enough water/chicken stock to cover. Simmer until chicken is nearly cooked.
- 6
Remove chicken; measure remaining liquid and add soaked rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook rice until almost done.
- 7
Return the chicken to the rice pot on top, cover tightly and steam on low for 10–15 min so flavors meld.
- 8
Optional: For an authentic smoky aroma, heat a small charcoal until red hot, place it on a small foil cup in the centre of the pot, add a teaspoon of butter/oil on the coal then cover to trap smoke for 5–10 minutes. Remove coal.
- 9
Garnish with fried onions, chopped coriander and serve with chutney or raita.
