Mandi (food)


Mandi is a traditional dish originated from Hadhramaut, Yemen, consisting mainly of meat and rice with a special blend of spices. It is cooked in a pit underground. It's extremely popular and prevalent in most areas of the Arabian Peninsula, and even considered a staple dish in many regions. It's also found in Egypt, the Levant, and Turkey.
It is also popular among the Hadhrami people in the Malabar region of Kerala, Bhatkal of Karnataka, as well as Barkas and areas around Hyderabad, India.
Mandi is usually made from rice, meat, and a mixture of spices called Hawaij. The meat used is usually a young and small sized lamb to enhance the taste further.
The main technique which differentiates Mandi from other meat dishes is that the meat is cooked in the tandoor, which is a special kind of oven which is usually a pit dug up in the ground and covered with clay all around its sides.
Mandi is considered the main dish served during special events, such as Eid, weddings, and feasts in Yemen and the south of the Saudi Arabia.

Etymology

The word "mandi" comes from the Arabic word "nada", meaning "dew", and reflects the moist 'dewy' texture of the meat.

Technique

Dry wood is placed in the Tandoor and burned to generate a lot of heat turning into charcoal.
The meat is then boiled with whole spices until tender, and the spiced stock is then used to cook the Basmati rice at the bottom of the Tandoor, then the meat is suspended inside the Tandoor above the rice and without touching the charcoal. After that, the whole Tandoor is then closed with clay for up to 8 hours.
Raisins, pine nuts, or peanuts can be added to the rice as to one's taste.