Arabic Mandi (Mandi Laham & Mandi Dajaj)

Step 1: Soak the Rice

Wash 1 kilogram (5 cups) of Sella basmati rice thoroughly. Soak Sella basmati rice for 2-3 hours. If using regular basmati rice, soak for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare Mutton Broth

Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a large pot. Add 8-10 black peppercorns, 8-10 cloves, 1 black cardamom, 6-7 green cardamoms, and 1 cinnamon stick. Sauté briefly. Add 1 big sliced onion and sauté until it turns a light golden brown color. Add 2 kilograms of mutton (leg and shoulder mix, cut into big pieces) and sauté on high flame until the meat changes its color to golden brown. Add 3 liters of water (or as required to cover the meat), 1 full bulb of whole garlic, a 1-2 inch piece of ginger, and 7 teaspoons of salt (5 for rice + 2 for meat). Bring to a boil, then remove any scum that rises to the surface. Cover and cook on low flame for 4-5 hours until the mutton is very tender. Add more water during cooking if required to ensure you have 10 cups of broth at the end. Strain the broth, remove the mutton pieces, and set both aside.

Step 3: Prepare Chicken Broth (Optional for Chicken Mandi)

Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a large pot. Add 8-10 black peppercorns, 8-10 cloves, 1 black cardamom, 6-7 green cardamoms, and 1 cinnamon stick. Sauté briefly. Add 1 big sliced onion and sauté until it turns a light golden brown color. Add 1.25 kilograms of chicken (with skin, cut into 8 pieces) and sauté on high flame until the chicken changes its color to golden brown. Add 2 liters of water (or as required), 1 full bulb of whole garlic, a 1-2 inch piece of ginger, and 6 1/2 teaspoons of salt (5 for rice + 1 1/2 for chicken). Bring to a boil, then remove any scum. Cover and cook on low flame for 45 minutes until the chicken is tender. Strain the broth, remove the chicken pieces, and set both aside. (Note: This chicken broth can be served as a soup if you are cooking the rice with mutton broth).

Step 4: Cook the Rice

In a large, open pot, heat 1/4 cup of oil. Add 8-10 black peppercorns, 8-10 cloves, 2 black cardamoms, 7-8 green cardamoms, and 1 cinnamon stick. Sauté briefly. Add 1 medium-sized sliced onion and sauté until it turns a light golden brown color. Add 10 cups of the prepared mutton broth, 2-3 bay leaves, and 2 black dry lemons (optional). Bring the broth to a rolling boil. Add the soaked rice. Cook on high flame without covering the pot or stirring repeatedly until the water completely dries out. Once the water has dried, cover the pot and keep it on very low flame (dum) for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Fry Mutton Pieces

Heat a small amount of oil in a large frying pan. Add the cooked mutton pieces. Fry on high flame for 1-2 minutes on each side until they get a nice golden color. Remove and keep aside.

Step 6: Fry Chicken Pieces

Dissolve a small amount of red/orange food color in water. Pour this over the cooked chicken pieces and mix well to coat. Heat a small amount of oil in a large frying pan. Add the colored chicken pieces. Fry on high flame for 1-2 minutes on each side until they get a nice golden color. Remove and keep aside.

Step 7: Assemble and Final Dum

After 5 minutes of dum, gently mix the rice in the pot. Place the fried mutton pieces on one side of the rice and the fried chicken pieces on the other side. Cover the pot with aluminum foil and then with a lid. Keep on very low flame (dum) for another 10-15 minutes.

Step 8: Prepare Tomato Sauce (Salsa)

In a blender, combine 3 large chopped tomatoes (or 2 cups), 1 tablespoon of garlic (or 4-5 cloves), 4 green chilies (or to taste), and 1/4 cup of fresh coriander. Grind on pulse mode to achieve a coarsely ground, chunky texture. Do not add water. Transfer to a bowl and mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt (or to taste).

Step 9: Prepare Green Chili Paste

In a small grinder, add 20-25 spicy green chilies (or as desired) and 2 tablespoons of water (or as required). Grind to make a thick paste. No need to add salt.

Step 10: Prepare Yogurt Sauce (Raita)

In a small grinder, combine 1/2 cup of fresh coriander, 1/4 cup of mint leaves, 2 green chilies, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1-2 tablespoons of water. Grind to make a paste. In a bowl, beat 1 cup of yogurt until smooth. Add the prepared green paste, 1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste), and 1/2 teaspoon of roasted cumin powder to the yogurt. Mix everything well until combined.

Step 11: Serve Mandi

After the final dum, carefully open the pot. Transfer the Arabic Mandi (rice with mutton and chicken) to a large serving platter. Serve hot with the prepared tomato sauce, green chili paste, yogurt raita, sliced onions, and fresh green chilies.

• For Sella basmati rice, soak for 2-3 hours. For Regular basmati rice, soak for 30 minutes.

• Adjust salt carefully: 1 teaspoon per cup of rice and 1 teaspoon per kilogram of meat/chicken.

• Remove scum from the broth during boiling for a clearer and cleaner broth.

• When cooking rice, do not cover the pot or stir frequently until the water dries out to prevent breaking the rice grains.

• For the tomato sauce, use pulse mode on the blender to achieve a chunky texture, not a smooth paste.

• If dry lemons are unavailable, you can skip them.

• You can use regular basmati rice instead of Sella basmati rice, adjusting soaking time.

• You can use dry yellow lemons instead of black dry lemons.

• The chicken broth can be served as a soup if not used for cooking rice.