Kerala, especially Malabar, has over the ages, wholeheartedly welcomed the yummiest of dishes from across the seas, especially the scents and aroma of Arabian food. One such dish is mandi, which crossed over to the Gulf from across Yemen. This delicious dish can be prepared at home even in the absence of a fire pit and other accessories. When rice and meat get cooked together, the flavor of the meat lingers on in the rice. Masala or other gravy is not required to boost the taste of mandi. Here’s a recipe for mandi with little masala and less of ghee.

Ingredients
2 cups of biryani rice
½ kg chicken
1 inch piece of cinnamon
3 cloves
3 cardamom
1 tomato
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp fresh pepper corns
4 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp chilly powder
1 tsp sunflower oil
Salt as required

Preparation
Mash the tomato using a blender extract a cup of juice
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and saute cinnamon, cloves and cardamom
Add pepper corns and coriander seeds, saute again
Add tomato juice and mix well
Cook for 1 minute
Add chicken pieces to the cooker and place the lid
Allow it to cook for two minutes without the weight on
Into this, add the soaked rice, three cups of water and salt as required
Close the cooker and put the wight on
Turn off the stove as soon as one whistle goes
Open the cooker after 10 minutes
Garnish the rice with coriander leaves, sultanas and cashew nuts
Serve with pappad, salad and pickle

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