Chicken Mandi Biryani
Chicken Mandi Biryani is a smoky fragrant rice dish from Yemen that spread everywhere in the Arabian Peninsula and down to South India especially Hyderabad Malabar and parts of Karnataka. People make tender chicken with warm spices then layer rice on top and let it steam slowly while real wood smoke fills everything with that deep barbecue flavor nothing else can match. Everyone loves how the meat stays so juicy and the rice soaks up every bit of taste plus that gentle smoky smell hits you the second you lift the lid. It fits family gatherings Eid parties or lazy weekend lunches when you want something special that cooks low and slow. This way you get the real taste at home with only a thick pot and one small coal instead of digging a big pit in the ground.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | For 0.5 kg chicken | For 1 kg chicken | For 2 kg chicken |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken (cut into pieces) | 500 g | 1 kg | 2 kg |
| Basmati rice | 2 cups (400 g) | 4 cups (800 g) | 8 cups (1.6 kg) |
| Onions (sliced thin) | 2 medium | 4 medium | 8 medium |
| Tomatoes (chopped) | 2 medium | 4 medium | 8 medium |
| Yogurt (thick) | ½ cup | 1 cup | 2 cups |
| Ginger-garlic paste | 1 tbsp | 2 tbsp | 4 tbsp |
| Green chilies (slit) | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Mandi spice mix (see note) | 2 tsp | 4 tsp | 8 tsp |
| Ground cardamom | ½ tsp | 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Ground cloves | ¼ tsp | ½ tsp | 1 tsp |
| Cinnamon stick | 1 inch | 2 inch | 4 inch |
| Bay leaves | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| Black peppercorns | 8 to 10 | 15 to 20 | 30 to 40 |
| Dried limes (loomi) | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Ghee or oil | 4 tbsp | 8 tbsp | 16 tbsp |
| Saffron (optional) | pinch | 2 pinches | 4 pinches |
| Salt | to taste | to taste | to taste |
| Charcoal piece + 1 tsp ghee for smoke | 1 small piece | 1 piece | 1 large piece |
Note: Mandi spice mix equal parts ground cumin coriander black pepper and a pinch of turmeric. Some people add a little dry ginger powder too.
How to Make
- Wash rice well and soak in water for 30 minutes then drain.
- Heat half the ghee in a large pot and fry sliced onions until deep golden. Take out half for garnish.
- Add cinnamon bay leaves peppercorns and dried limes to the pot. Fry 30 seconds.
- Put chicken pieces ginger-garlic paste and mandi spice mix. Cook on high heat 5 minutes.
- Lower flame add yogurt tomatoes green chilies and salt. Cover and cook until chicken is almost done about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Boil plenty of water in another pot add drained rice cardamom cloves and some salt. Cook until rice is 70 percent done then drain fast.
- Layer half the rice over the chicken in the first pot. Sprinkle some fried onions and ground cardamom.
- Add remaining rice make small holes with spoon handle and drizzle saffron water if using.
- Place remaining fried onions on top cover tight with foil and lid. Cook on very low heat (dum) for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Heat charcoal until red hot place in a small steel bowl with 1 tsp ghee and put bowl in the pot. Cover quick so smoke stays inside 5 to 7 minutes then remove bowl.
- Mix gently before serving.
Instructions
Use a heavy-bottom pot so nothing sticks. If chicken releases a lot of water take some out before adding rice otherwise biryani gets mushy. I usually keep the chicken pieces big so they stay juicy. Serve with plain yogurt or a quick tomato-onion raita. Leftovers taste even better the next day just warm on low heat with a splash of water. Timing works best if you start frying onions while rice soaks. That way everything finishes together.
History
Origin of Chicken Mandi Biryani
You know many people don’t realize that Mandi first came from Yemen in the Hadhramaut area hundreds of years back. Families there dug a deep hole in the ground lined it with bricks and burned acacia wood until only hot coals remained. They hung marinated meat on iron sticks inside covered everything with a big lid and more sand so smoke and heat cooked it slowly for hours. The name Mandi comes from an Arabic word for dew because meat became so soft it felt like morning dew on grass.
Traditional ingredients and methods
I think this part is quite interesting because the original spice mix was really simple. People used salt black pepper cumin coriander and dried black lime that grows wild in Yemen. No fancy garam masala or anything. The dried lime is what gives that slight sour smoky taste you notice when you eat proper Mandi. Rice came later when Yemeni traders started going back and forth to India. Before rice they served it with flat bread or just the meat and sauce. The underground tandoor style was perfect for the desert you could cook for fifty people with very little wood and the meat stayed warm for hours under the sand.
Regional variations
Some people say it started this way but when Hadhrami families moved to Hyderabad in the 1800s they brought Mandi with them. In Hyderabad they mixed it with local biryani style and started using more tomatoes yogurt and sometimes almonds on top. In Saudi Arabia especially Hijaz they keep it closer to the original super smoky with lamb and almost no red color. Down in Kerala the Malabar version uses more coconut oil and green chilies because thats what grows there. Every place changed it a little to match what they had but the smoke and dried lime stayed the same.
Cultural significance
Honestly this one part always makes me curious – Mandi is the dish you make when someone comes home from a long journey. In Yemen if a son comes back from working in another country the family digs the pit and cooks Mandi all night so the smell welcomes him before he even sees the house. During Eid al-Fitr big trays of Mandi go to the mosque to share with everyone. In Gulf weddings they still cook it the old way in huge pits that feed hundreds of guests. The smoke curling up from the ground is part of the celebration almost like incense.
How it spread and modern use
From villages to cities
It’s kind of surprising how fast it moved once Yemeni workers went to Saudi Arabia in the 1970s. Suddenly every street corner in Jeddah and Riyadh had Mandi restaurants with gas ovens built to look like the old pits. From there cab drivers and students took the taste to Malaysia Indonesia and even East Africa. Today in Hyderabad you find Mandi biryani shops right next to classic Hyderabadi biryani places and people argue which one is better. Restaurants now use special smoke machines or liquid smoke but most home cooks still do the coal trick because nothing beats that real wood smell.
Mandi in todays kitchens
Funny thing is even in big cities people miss the village taste so much they started backyard Mandi parties. Someone brings a small clay oven someone else brings the dried limes from Dubai and they cook all afternoon. My friend in Bangalore built a mini pit in his garden just for weekends. The rice grains stay separate the chicken falls off the bone and that smoky aroma makes everyone sit closer together. Some families now make fish Mandi or prawn Mandi down the coast but chicken is still the favorite because it takes the smoke so well.
The Ramadan connection
I remember hearing that during Ramadan in Gulf countries the moment Maghrib prayer finishes the streets fill with the smell of Mandi coming from every house. Big aluminum pots line up outside mosques and volunteers serve free plates to anyone walking by. That tradition kept the recipe alive more than any cookbook ever could.
Why it never lost its heart
Maybe it began a bit differently back then but today Chicken Mandi Biryani is one of those dishes that crosses borders without losing its soul. You taste Yemen in every bite but you also taste the place where it is cooked right now. The underground pit turned into a simple pot on a home stove yet the feeling stays the same slow food for people you care about. That is pretty much the whole story I guess. Every time I make it the house smells amazing and someone always asks for the recipe. It always turns out a bit different each time depending on how smoky you let it get but thats the beauty of it really.
What exactly is the origin of Chicken Mandi Biryani and why do they call it Mandi?
It started in Yemen long ago. The word Mandi comes from Arabic nada which means dew. After cooking underground for hours the meat turns so soft and juicy it feels like it melts exactly like morning dew on leaves.
How is Chicken Mandi Biryani different from normal Hyderabadi biryani?
Mandi keeps spices very simple and gives strong smoke taste from coal. Chicken cooks almost separate then rice goes on top. Hyderabadi style uses richer masala more saffron and everything cooks sealed together for deeper flavor.
Can I make Chicken Mandi Biryani in oven or air fryer at home?
Yes plenty of people do that. Bake chicken at 190 degrees for twenty five to thirty minutes or air fry at 180 degrees for twenty minutes to get crispy skin. Just do the coal smoke step at the end and you are good.
How many calories in one plate Chicken Mandi Biryani and is it healthy?
One normal plate around two hundred grams has five hundred to six hundred calories with good twenty grams protein. Spices give some health boost but eat less rice if you watch sugar.
How did Mandi Biryani become so famous in Hyderabad?
Yemeni families settled in Barkas area more than hundred years back and opened small eateries. Slowly locals loved the smoky taste and now almost every biryani street has one Mandi shop.
What is the real name of the spice mix used in Mandi?
In Yemen they call it Hawaij. It is just cumin coriander black pepper cardamom cloves and dried lime powder mixed together. Indian shops sell ready packets as Mandi masala.
Can I cook Mandi with mutton or lamb instead of chicken?
Of course. Use bone in mutton and give it forty five to fifty minutes extra cooking time on low flame. Taste becomes even richer because mutton releases more fat.
What sides taste best with Chicken Mandi Biryani?
Cold yogurt with cucumber and mint works perfect. Some people love simple tomato onion salad with lemon. In Arab style they serve hot spicy sauce on the side.
Is Mandi Biryani very spicy in taste?
Not at all. It stays mild and warm from whole spices. Smoke gives the main kick instead of chili so even kids eat it happily.
Where to eat good Chicken Mandi Biryani in USA?
Look for Yemeni or Arab restaurants in New York Chicago or Los Angeles. Many places in Dearborn Michigan serve proper Mandi on big trays. Even some Indian restaurants started adding it to weekend menu.
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Hi, I’m Emma, a passionate home chef and the heart behind MasterTastes.com. With over 5 years of hands on experience in the kitchen. I specialize in creating simple flavorful and foolproof recipes that bring restaurant quality taste to everyday home cooking.
From quick weeknight meals and traditional Pakistani & Indian classics to modern fusion dishes and indulgent desserts my recipes are tested budget friendly and designed for real life kitchens especially for beginners and busy home cooks.
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