Mandi: From Pen to Plate in 11 Frames

Mandi (مندي) is a special steak and rice dish, a staple at special occasions such as Eid, parties, and wedding feasts among Arabs. Originating in Hadhramouth, Yemen, it soon made inroads into the entire Arabian peninsula, Sub-Saharan Africa, and recently the Southeast Asian countries too, mostly on account of its oil-free and exotic style of cooking. In short, the fat from suspended meat drips onto the rice being cooked underneath. The meat gets exquisitely tender, which is probably why the name "mandi" (from nada ندى meaning 'dew' or 'snowflakes') was chosen. Mutton (preferably lamb), chicken, and camel are the usual meats prepared this way. 

Let us start with a three-month-old lamb raised nibbling on tender blades of subtropical desert grass and shrubs, often roaming free on vast stretches of the mountainous landscape. At the peak of summer, these lambs even dig up the land and eat the roots of plants underneath.

A pit is dug about four feet deep, and the wall is lined with baked earthen bricks. A layer of charcoal is placed in the bottom and is heated with a pipe-like burner until the bricks get red-hot and smoldering.

The pit oven is ready. It can hold its heat for long, so the burner is removed, leaving only some charcoal at the bottom. No more charcoal is added during the entire day. The reason people in the desert invented this oven could be that it is sheltered from the wind, so the fire can't be put out by an unexpected gust of air, or a sandstorm, and the loss of heat generated by burning scarce firewood is negligible.

Lamb steaks are prepared, cut into reasonably-sized portions, and washed well. Nothing else for marination, but table salt is added before threading the meat onto skewers to be suspended from the top of the stove. (Photo credit: Sharfudheen Pazheri)

Lowering the rice pot containing a proportionate amount of water to which salt and very little spice have been added. Note that strictly no oil is added. Basmati rice is a wonderful choice, but what is mostly being used instead is a kind of big, round-grain rice. The flavorings include raisins, cinnamon, pine nuts, pepper, and the like. However, spices are not indispensable, but salt is.

It is time to cover the rice pot with of metallic net for the steak in a case falling into the boiling rice, and at the same time letting the melting fat seep into the rice adding flavor and great texture. (Photo credit: Sharafudheen Pazheri)

Here come steaks flavored with nothing but salt, on iron skewers suspended above the rice pot. It is time to let them reveal their true, unadulterated flavor without a long list of hot and spicy flavorings.As the meat gets cooked, the juices drop down into the rice pot adding aromatic flavor to the rice.

A long twisted piece of cotton clothing is placed between the huge iron lid and the pit mouth, acting as an airtight washer. A few weights are put on top to keep the lid securely closed. This locks the aromatic vapor in.

Be careful. You need a pair of experienced hands to remove the lid. The scorching steam can cause severe blistering leaving you with no appetite for anything for days. Having been kept airtight for 45 minutes, remove the lid. The cooking time depends on the tenderness of the raw meat that was used. For Jazeeri lamb steaks, it is less than an hour.

    Wow ... cooked and ready to be served. The aroma emanating from the pit oven is irresistible. To the untrained eye, the mandi may appear unappealing, but for those who have tasted it before, and for whom it had invariably been love-at-first-bite, it is a veritable feast. (Photo credit: Sharafudheen Pazheri)

This platter serves three, but it depends on the size of your group up to 6. Enjoy it hot. If you like to complement the taste with chili sauce or slices of onion, it is better not to serve these alongside the mandi as adding directly to the dish will spoil the authentic mandi taste. Arabs traditionally eat sitting down on the floor sharing a big platter, often offering each other steaks broken into bite-size pieces with their hands as a gesture of hospitality and love. And it is customary to invite everyone around to join in ... so please sit down and help yourself.