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Saudi Arabia, Middle East and Africa

Mandi

Yemeni-Saudi rice dish: fragrant basmati cooked in spiced chicken broth, topped with golden-roasted chicken and finished with a puff of charcoal smoke.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time1 h 20 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsCharcoal smoking produces carbon monoxide. Always ventilate well and don't breathe in the smoke trapped under the lid at close range.

Method

  1. Put the chicken, water, onion, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, dried lime and part of the salt in a 3 L pot and bring to the boil over high heat for . Skim off the grey foam, lower to low heat, set the lid ajar and simmer gently for , until the chicken is tender.

    Add in this stepChicken leg quarters (thigh and drumstick, skin on) 2Water 900 mlOnion, halved 1Green cardamom pods 3Cinnamon stick (about 5 cm) 1Cloves 3Bay leaves 1Dried lime (loomi), pierced with a knife tip (optional) 1Salt 0.6 tsp

    high heat→low heat

  2. While the chicken simmers, rinse the rice 3 or 4 times until the water runs clear, soak it in cold water for , then drain. Soaking keeps basmati grains long and unbroken.

    Add in this stepBasmati rice 180 g

  3. Lift out the chicken and pat it dry. Mix the cumin, coriander, turmeric, pepper and part of the salt with half the melted ghee, rub it all over the chicken skin, and set the pieces skin side up on an oven tray. Strain the broth (you can return the whole spices to the rice if you like).

    Add in this stepGround cumin 1 tspGround coriander 1 tspGround turmeric ½ tspBlack pepper ½ tspSalt ¼ tspGhee, melted ¾ tbsp

  4. Measure 330 ml of the strained broth into the pot and bring to the boil over high heat. Taste and season with the remaining salt for the rice until it tastes slightly salty, then add the drained rice and stir once. When it boils again, cover tightly, lower to low heat and cook for ; turn off the heat and leave it covered.

    Add in this stepSalt ½ tsp

    high heat→low heat

  5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220 °C and roast the chicken for , until the skin is deep golden. The chicken is already cooked, so this is for colour: the thickest part should read 75 °C or more, or the juices run clear when pierced.

    oven

  6. Smoking (optional): hold a piece of charcoal with tongs over a gas flame on high heat for , until it glows red all over. Set the chicken on the rice, put a small cup made of foil (or a layer of onion skin) in the centre, drop the charcoal in and pour the remaining ghee onto it. As soon as it smokes, cover the pot and leave for . Always do this with the extractor fan on and a window open, and drown the used charcoal in water.

    Add in this stepNatural lump charcoal (for smoking) 1Ghee, melted ¾ tbsp

    high heat

  7. For the daqqus sauce, blitz the tomatoes, garlic and chilli until smooth and season with lemon juice and the last of the salt. Carefully remove the charcoal cup, spread the rice on a large platter, lay the chicken on top and serve with the sauce.

    Add in this stepTomatoes 1Garlic cloves 1Green chilli ½Lemon ½Salt ⅛ tsp

Cook's tip

If the charcoal step feels like too much, skip it and add a little smoked paprika to the sauce for a hint of smoke. Don't lift the lid while the rice cooks, or it turns sticky. Dried limes are sold in Middle Eastern shops; a strip of lemon peel works instead.

Cooking it at camp

The campsite is actually close to mandi's roots. Simmer the chicken at home and carry it with its broth in a cooler; cook the rice in a Dutch oven on site and crisp the chicken skin on a charcoal grill. For the smoke, simply take one glowing coal from the fire.