Yemeni Mandi with Meat
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons rose water
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron
- 3 cups basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoons mixed spices
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chili
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 kg meat
- 1 onion
- 6 cardamom pods
- 6 cloves
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 cup corn oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 1 green pepper
- 1 piece charcoal
Preparation
Soak the saffron in rose water.
Wash the rice and soak it for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix curry spices, mixed spices, cardamom, chili, and turmeric, then set aside.
In a pot, place the meat, cover with water, bring to a boil, and remove any scum. Add onion, cardamom pods, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and salt, cook on medium heat until meat is fully cooked. Strain the meat and keep the broth hot; you should have about 4 cups of broth.
In a pot, heat 3 tablespoons of oil, add garlic, ginger, and onion, stir until softened, then add half of the spice mixture, stir to combine, add the meat, and stir well. Remove from heat.
Drain the rice from soaking water, add the remaining spices to it, and mix well.
In a pot, place about a quarter of the rice, add the meat mixture and spread evenly, then add the remaining rice on top and level the surface.
Gently add the broth and the remaining oil, bring to a strong boil on high heat, then reduce heat, cover, and cook for 30 minutes until rice is done.
Spread the saffron and rose water mixture over the Mandi.
For smoking, carefully heat a piece of charcoal until it becomes ember, make a hollow in the rice, place aluminum foil in it, add oil drops, put the lit charcoal, cover the pot to trap smoke, then remove the charcoal and serve.
Tips
Be careful with safety when handling hot charcoal during the smoking step.
