Today I am making the homestyle chicken mandi recipe using a pot and tava. This homestyle chicken mandi is a mild yet tasty lunch or dinner recipe to enjoy on any special day or get-together.
Are the chicken mandi and biryani the same?
Blend rice, meat, and masala to make biryani. You can cook the meat, rice, and masala together or separately and layer them together to create an aroma using a technique called ‘dum’. On the other hand, for Mandi rice and meat, cook them separately, and serve the meat on top of the rice.
Basmati rice is the optimal option for making Mandi. If you want to substitute some other rice, choose a long-grain variety and adjust the required water quantity according to the rice.
Is this the way the traditional chicken mandi is made?
No, people traditionally cook the mandi recipe in an underground pit or tandoor. They place the rice pot inside the tandoor without it touching the hot charcoal, and they put the marinated meat on a wire rack on top of the rice.
They close the entire tandoor and install an air vent to remove excess smoke. The traditional cooking process involves following a slow cooking method.
To achieve the charcoal flavor when cooking mandi at home on the stovetop or oven, place a small piece of charcoal in the center of the mandi pot. Fire the charcoal, and then cover the pot to absorb the aroma of the charcoal.