Classic Chicken Mandi
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1 kg whole chicken legs
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 2 tbsp mandi spice mix
- a pinch ground saffron
- ½ lemon, juiced
Rice
- 4 cups long grain rice
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup butter
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 tbsp whole cloves
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 green chillis
- 2 dried limes
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups water
- a pinch saffron
Dakoos(Tomato Sauce for Mandi)
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 green chillis
- a handful parsley
- a handful coriander
- salt, to taste
Garnish
- 4-5 onions, finely sliced
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup almonds
- ½ cup yellow raisins
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt. Mix all ingredients together. Coat the chicken evenly and marinate for 1 hour or overnight. Preheat the oven to 230°C. Roast the chicken for 15 minutes, then lower it to 180°C and continue for 45 to 60 minutes.
- Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes. Drain. Bloom saffron in a few tablespoons of water. In a pot, melt butter and sauté onions until translucent. Add cardamon pods, whole cloves, peppercorn, cinnamon stick, whole chillies, dried lime and bay leaf, and stir.
- Add rice, water, saffron water and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to medium heat, and cook for 30 minutes. For a smoked flavour, heat coal until red, place it in a foil ball on the rice and cover for 10 minutes. Remove the coal.
- In a pan, fry almonds in oil until golden and set aside. Fry onions until crispy.
- To prepare the dakoos sauce, blend tomatoes, garlic, chillies, parsley, coriander, and salt until pureed. Set aside.
- Serve rice on a platter, top with chicken, and garnish with onions, almonds, and raisins. Serve with dakoos sauce.