Mutton Mandi recipe

 

Mutton Mandi is a delectable rice dish from the Arabian Peninsula that is well-known throughout the Middle East for its flavorful ingredients and delicate mutton. Combining flavorful slices of mutton with fragrant rice cooked in a mixture of spices, it is a full dinner on its own.

The Mandi spice blend, which often consists of a combination of cumin, coriander, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, gives the meal its distinctive flavour. This spice blend gives the food depth and warmth and imparts a rich, aromatic flavour to the rice and mutton.

The mutton pieces are first fried in ghee or clarified butter with onions, garlic, and ginger before being used to make Mutton Mandi. This process provides the meat a gorgeous caramelised texture and aids in locking in the flavours. The mutton is then coated in a mixture of spices, including the Mandi spice mix, turmeric, chilli powder, cumin, and coriander, which infuses it with potent flavours.

A tasty broth created from chicken or mutton stock is then used to slowly boil the mutton. The slow cooking method makes the meat moist and soft while allowing it to absorb the flavours of the stock and seasonings, giving it a melt-in-your-mouth quality. The mutton is kept wet with the aid of the broth, which also gives the rice an additional layer of flavour.

The Basmati rice is partially cooked separately until it reaches a 70–80% completion level. By doing this, you may prevent the rice from mushing up when cooked with the mutton and ensuring that each grain of rice stays separate. The cooked mutton is then placed on top of the partially cooked rice in a baking dish or oven-safe saucepan. The cooked mutton's drained liquid is then poured over the layers, followed by the remaining rice.

After that, the dish is securely covered and roasted in the oven so that the flavours can combine and the rice can soak up the flavorful broth. The outcome is a divine marriage of delicious, tender mutton and aromatic, fluffy rice.

Saffron threads soaked in warm milk are commonly used to garnish mutton mandi, giving the dish a bright colour and delicate floral scent. For a light touch, freshly chopped coriander leaves are sprinkled on top. Mandi is accompanied by lemon wedges so that customers can squeeze some citrus juice over the rice to enhance the flavours and add a tart contrast.

When families or friends get together for special events, the centrepiece dish is frequently mutton mandi. It combines the savoury flavours of Arabian food into a filling and healthy dish.

Ingredients:

500 grammes of piecemeal mutton

a serving of Basmati rice

1 big onion, diced finely

4 minced garlic cloves

a grating of ginger, 1 inch long

two tomatoes, cut up

2 tablespoons Mandi spice blend (homemade or found at Middle Eastern grocers)

one teaspoon of turmeric powder

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried coriander

Salt as desired

4 cups of mutton or chicken stock

1/4 cup clarified butter or ghee

Vegetable oil, 1/4 cup

Warm milk infused with saffron threads (for garnish)

chopped fresh coriander leaves (for garnish)

slices of lemon (for serving)

Regarding the Mandi Spice Blend:

2 teaspoons of cumin powder

2 teaspoons of coriander powder

2 teaspoons of black pepper, ground

1 tablespoon of cardamom, ground

1 tablespoon cinnamon powder

1/4 cup crushed cloves

1 tablespoon of nutmeg, ground

Method:

Basmati rice should be well rinsed in cold water until the water is clear. Rice should be soaked in water for 30 minutes, drained, and then set aside.

Ghee and vegetable oil should be heated in a large pot over medium heat. Once the onions are added, sauté them until they are golden brown.

When aromatic, add the minced garlic and grated ginger to the pot and cook for an additional minute.

Place the pieces of mutton in the pot and boil them until they are well-browned all over.

The chopped tomatoes, Mandi spice blend, turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin, coriander, and salt will now be added. Cook the mutton for a short while after thoroughly mixing the spices to coat it.

Bring the mixture to a boil after adding the chicken or mutton stock. For about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the mutton is soft and cooked through, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer.

A big saucepan of salted water should be brought to a boil while the mutton is cooking. Cook the soaked, drained Basmati rice with the other ingredients until it is 70 to 80% done. The rice must still be slightly sticky.bit of bite. After draining, set the rice aside.

Set the oven's temperature to 180 C (350 F).

After the mutton has finished cooking, remove the chunks and place them aside. To separate the stock from the solid ingredients, strain the leftover liquid.

Spread half of the rice that has been partially cooked out evenly in the bottom of a large baking dish or oven-safe pot. Over the rice, arrange the cooked mutton chunks.

Spread out the leftover rice evenly and layer it on top of the meat.

Rice should be covered with the strained stock, which should be distributed equally.

Aluminium foil or a lid should be used to tightly cover the baking dish or pot. Put it in the preheated oven and bake for around 30 to 1 hour, or until the rice is fluffy and fully cooked.

Remove the Mutton Mandi from the oven once it has finished cooking. Before taking off the cover, let it sit for a while.

Use a fork to lightly fluff the rice before serving. Saffron threads steeped in warm milk and freshly chopped coriander leaves can be used as a garnish. heated food with lemon wedges on the side.