Delicious Arabic Mutton Mandi Secrets | Arabic Cuisine | Easy & Tasty Recipe

Mutton Mandi!
This traditional Yemeni delight features succulent, tender mutton, perfectly cooked and served over fragrant, spiced rice.
It’s not just a meal; it's an experience!
Let’s get cooking and bring these incredible flavors to life!
Let’s start by preparing our mutton.
In a mixing bowl, add 1 kg of mutton I’ve used small-sized pieces,
but lamb shanks or shoulder meat work just as well.
Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, and 3 teaspoons of crushed ginger-garlic.
Mix everything well, ensuring the mutton is coated with the spices. Then transfer the marinated mutton to a pressure cooker.
Add one glass of water, close the lid,
and cook it for 5 whistles.
This will help the mutton become tender and flavourful.
While the mutton cooks, let’s prepare our rice.
Wash and soak 750 grams of extra-long grain basmati rice for at least 30 minutes. Soaking the rice helps it fluff up beautifully and cook faster.
By the time the rice is soaked, our mutton will be perfectly cooked. Release the pressure from the cooker, open the lid,
and carefully separate the cooked mutton pieces from the stock we’ll use this stock to cook our rice later, enhancing its flavour.
Next, let’s marinate the mutton for frying.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of chili powder, a teaspoon of pepper powder, and a teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste.
Add 3 teaspoons of Mandi Masala
check the description below for the masala recipe.
Add a few strands of saffron, half a piece of meat stock, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and the juice of one lemon.
Mix everything well and let it marinate for a few minutes.
This step adds an extra layer of flavor and helps crisp up the mutton when fried.
Now, heat some oil in a Pan to deep-fry the onions.
Add 3 medium-sized, finely chopped onions and fry until they turn golden brown.
Dish them out and set them aside.
In the same oil, fry some cashews and almonds until golden, then set them aside as well.
Next, add finely sliced carrots and capsicum to the oil,
frying them on medium flame for about 5 minutes until they are cooked and slightly tender.
These garnishes add colour and texture to our Mandi.
Add the marinated mutton pieces to the oil and fry on both sides for 5 to 6 minutes. Remember, the mutton is already cooked, so this step is just to enhance the flavor and crisp it up a bit.
Once they’re fried perfectly, dish them out and set them aside. These crispy mutton pieces will be the highlight of our dish.
In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons of oil
and add whole spices such as coriander seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom.
Let them release their aroma, then add one small, chopped onion and 5 green chilies. Sauté for about 3 minutes until the onions are soft and fragrant.
Next, add freshly crushed ginger-garlic paste and chopped capsicum, giving it a quick stir.
Season with 2 teaspoons of salt and 3 tablespoons of Mandi Masala, which will infuse the rice with rich, spicy flavours.

Pour in the reserved mutton stock
add 1 glass of stock along with 5 glasses of water or use twice the quantity of rice along with the stock,
and bring it all to a boil.
To enhance the flavor even more, add 2 dry lemons and 2 cubes of stock, then stir everything together and let it boil.
These additions will give our Mandi its unique tangy and Savoury taste. Adjust the salt if required.
Now, drain the soaked rice and add it to the pot,
giving it a good stir to combine with the spices and stock.
Cook on high flame for 10 minutes, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
After this, pour in saffron-infused milk for an extra touch of colour and fragrance, and gently fluff the rice with a fork.
Finally, place the fried mutton pieces on top of the rice, creating a beautiful, mouth- watering presentation.
To give it that authentic smoky Mandi flavor,
take a hot charcoal piece and place it in a small bowl.
Set the bowl on top of the rice, then drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil over the charcoal. Quickly cover the pot to trap the smoke and let it infuse the rice and mutton for about 5 minutes.
This step will give your Mandi a rich, smoky aroma that’s irresistible.
And there you have it our delicious Mutton Mandi,
a perfect blend of tender meat and aromatic rice, bursting with rich, smoky Middle Eastern flavors!
Serve it on a large platter with the meat on top, garnished with crispy fried almonds, cashews, caramelised onions, carrots, and capsicum.

Pair it with a tangy tomato chutney

Preparing Mandi Masala
- Heat a pan over medium flame and add the Mandi whole spices:
- 1 teaspoon each of cloves, cardamom, and peppercorns
- 3 tablespoons of cumin seeds and fennel seeds
- 6-7 one-inch cinnamon sticks
- 1 dry lemon
- 1 black cardamom
- 5 tablespoons of coriander seeds
- 1/4th of a nutmeg
- Lightly dry roast the spices until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Let them cool, then grind until you achieve a powdery texture.