Chicken Mandi

Chicken · India classic.

Ingredients

• 1 Chicken
• 2 cups Basmati Rice
• 4 cups Water
• 1 large Onion
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2 Green Chilli
• 1 ½ tsp Salt
• 3 tablespoons Oil
• 1 tablespoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander
• ½ tbsp Cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 2 Bay Leaf

Method

1. Marinate — Clean and cut the chicken; marinate briefly with salt, turmeric and a little oil.
2. Heat the pan — Rinse and soak basmati rice 20–30 minutes. In a large pot, heat ghee/oil.
3. Fry — Fry chopped onion until golden. Add minced garlic and green chillies and fry 1–2 min.
4. Add ingredients — Add whole spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves) and ground spices (coriander, cumin).
5. Stir — Stir until fragrant. Add chicken pieces, brown lightly and add enough water/chicken stock to cover.
6. Simmer — Simmer until chicken is nearly cooked. Remove chicken; measure remaining liquid and add soaked rice.
7. Bring to a boil — Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook rice until almost done.
8. Cover and cook — Return the chicken to the rice pot on top, cover tightly and steam on low for 10–15 min so flavors meld.
9. Heat the pan — (Optional) For 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 tsp of butter/oil on the coal then cover immediately to trap smoke for 5–10 minutes.
10. Serve — Remove coal. Garnish with fried onions, chopped coriander and serve with chutney or raita.

More India recipes

• Butter Chicken
• Chicken Biryani
• Palak Paneer
• Samosas
• Dal Tadka
• Garlic Naan