Chicken Mandi

Ingredients

Chicken and stock

• 1 whole chicken, cleaned and soaked in oil, lemon and vinegar
• 1 small onion
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• 1 hot chili pepper (to taste)
• Whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, bay leaf)
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp mandi spice

Chicken marinade (after boiling)

• 1 tomato
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 tbsp turmeric (or Sazón seasoning)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt

Rice

• 2 cups Abu Bint rice, washed
• 1 small onion, very finely chopped
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1/4 tbsp red or yellow food coloring
• 2 tbsp kewra (pandan) water

Smoking and garnish

• 1 piece of charcoal and 1/4 cup oil
• Almonds and pine nuts
• Raisins soaked in hot water for an hour, drained and fried 2 minutes until puffed

Dakkous salad

• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 hot or mild chili
• 1/2 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• A squeeze of lemon
• Salt
• 1 tbsp tomato paste

Method

1. Fry the chicken in a little oil, add the onion, chopped tomato, chili, a tablespoon of mandi spice and the whole spices. Add hot water and cook until the chicken is done (about 15 minutes after whistling in a pressure cooker).
2. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil with the very finely chopped onion and some of the strained onion and tomato from the stock. Fry until soft, then add the rice and stir. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken stock per cup of rice, with 1 tbsp mandi spice, the stock cube, 1 tsp salt and 2 tbsp oil. When the water is absorbed, lower the heat until the rice is cooked. Mix the kewra water with a drop of coloring, make a small well in the cooked rice and pour it in. Leave until fully done and fluff with a fork when serving.
3. Chicken: after boiling, blend the tomato, garlic, bell pepper, turmeric, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Coat the chicken in it briefly, then roast in the oven until browned.
4. Light the charcoal, place it in a piece of foil with a little oil, set it in the middle of the rice and in the middle of the chicken tray, and cover so they absorb the smoke.

Notes

For the raisins I use the air fryer at 200°C for 2 to 3 minutes. I also drizzle the oil from the charcoal over the chicken and rice.