Chicken mandi made in the oven
Chicken mandi features perfectly cooked fragrant basmati rice with succulent and flavorful chicken. Crispy from the outside and very flavorful from the inside.
Servings: 6
Calories: 528kcal
Equipment
- 1 (9*13) oven-safe dish
- 1 cooling wire rack
Ingredients
- 3lbs chicken 1 whole chicken with skin
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Whole spices to make mandi masala
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 5 green cardamom
- 2 inch cinnamon
Other ingredients for Mandi masala
- 1 tsp salt adjust it to your taste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
Ingredients for rice
- 1 small onion roughly sliced
- 3 cups basmati rice aged long grain
- 2 tsp salt or to taste
- 2 dried lemon or lime optional
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cups water quantity may differ check notes
To smoke
- 1 coal
Saffron
- 5-6 strands saffron
- 1/4 cup ice cubes
Garnish
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds optional
- 1/4 cup raisins optional
- caramelized onions optional
Instructions
Make Mandi Masala
- Add all of the whole spices listed above for mandi masala to a pan and over medium heat roast for 3-4 minutes or until you see a little bit of color on them.
- Now transfer into a grinder and make a powder.
Marinate the chicken
- Divide one whole chicken with the skin into two pieces and pat dry.
- To marinate the chicken, add half of the Mandi masala made earlier with 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of turmeric, and 1/4 cup of oil. Rub this marinade over the chicken, making sure to massage it under the skin as well. You can leave it overnight as well.
Prepare Rice
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Take 3 cups of rice. Wash until water runs clear. Now add rice to a baking dish, remaining mandi masala, 2 tsp of salt, olive oil, dried lemon or lime, bay leaves, and 6 cups of boiling water. Mix all of the ingredients.
- Put a wire rack on top of the tray and chicken on the wire rack. Tightly cover it with foil paper.
- Bake it for 50 minutes at 425°F.
Prepare Garnish
- Meanwhile, add 1 tsp of oil in a pan and toast some almonds and raisins for garnish. Make mandi sauce and also bloom saffron.
Bloom Saffron
- To bloom saffron, grind a few saffron strands to make powder. Add a few ice cubes and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- After 50 minutes remove the chicken and put it back in the oven for 25 minutes, uncovered.
- Now add 2 tbsp of bloomed saffron water to rice, cover, and bake for 5 more minutes.
Smoke Mandi
- Heat a coal over the flame.
- After 25 minutes chicken is cooked thoroughly, transfer it back to the rice dish and smoke with a coal.
- Garnish with almonds and raisins and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Always use sela basmati rice or aged long-grain basmati rice for mandi.
I used aged long-grain basmati rice, and for every cup of rice, I added 2 cups of water. If you are using new long-grain basmati rice then for every cup of rice only use 1.5 cups of water.
Nutrition
Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 292mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2mg