It is now very popular in other areas of the Arabian Peninsula, and it is also common in Egypt and Levant. It is also popular among the Hadhrami people in the Malabar region of Kerala as well as Barkas and areas around Hyderabad, India. The word "mandi" comes from the Arabic word nada, meaning "dew", and reflects the moist 'dewy' texture of the meat.[1]
Mandi is usually made from rice, meat (lamb
or chicken), and a mixture of spices. The meat used is usually a young and small sized lamb to enhance the taste further. The main thing which differentiates Mandi from other meat dishes is that the meat is cooked in the tandoor (taboon in Hadhrami), which is a special kind of oven. The tandoor is usually a hole dug in the ground and covered inside by clay. To cook mandi, dry wood is placed in the tandoor and burned to generate a lot of heat turning into charcoal. The meat is then suspended inside the tandoor without touching the charcoal. After that, the whole tandoor is closed but an airvent is given to remove excess smoke. Raisins, pine nuts, or peanuts can be added to the rice as per one's taste. Mandi is considered the main dish served during special events, such as Eid, weddings, and feasts.
