Kuwait – Traditional Mandi Laham (Steamed Meat With Rice and Spices)

by Fariha Saeed

About the dish

Mandi means ”meat”. This dish is a combination of Juicy meat with basmati rice and different kinds of spices in it. The aroma of this dish is so amazing you can smell the steamed (Tandoori) meat with soft rice and spicy spices in it which make it so much more flavorful. The texture of the meat is tender, juicy, and soft. The texture of the rice is soft and moist. This is so popular in Many countries like Oman, Qatar, Egypt, UAE. The meat is in the shape of small cubes like TIKKA. The taste of it is so amazing that you can’t stop yourself from eating it. The important thing is the meat should be cook in tandoor otherwise it will not has that smokey aroma and flavor in it. After putting the meat in the tandoor should be closed. There is one more important thing is the only rice you can use is Basmati rice. The other rice will stick together and form in a cluster that you don’t want.

You can use any kind of meat in it but the most popular meat to put in MANDI LAHAM is mutton. The tandoor is also called Taboon. You can serve this to your guest to impress them. You can have this as lunch or dinner or you can serve this on any occasion. The garnish of it is very important. You can garnish it with:

• Raisins
• Almonds
• Cashew
• Walnut
• Fresh parsley
• Daqqus (red sauce)
• Ginger

This dish is a little spicy if you do not like hot food you can add less chili to it. Mandi Laham is a little similar to Kabsa Rice which is also very yummy. But the flavor of Mandi Laham is very unique. When the you eat the meat, rice and daqqus together taste so delicious.

Nutrition list

• Calories 470
• Protein 21 g
• Carbs 31 g
• Fat 23 g

Ingredients and cooking

For the Lamb

• 1 kg Lamb (small cubes)
• 1 cup oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 tbsp yogurt
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tsp coriander
• 2 tbsp red chili
• 5 green chili (chopped)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp turmeric

Cooking

Take a large cooking pot and add the lamb, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, ginger paste and mix it make sure until all the things are well combined. Now keep it aside for 2 hours. Now take a medium-size bowl and add yogurt, coriander, red chili, turmeric, cumin, garlic paste, and green chili then mix it and add this paste to the lamb and mix it with your hands. Lest it rests for 5 to 6 hours.

Now take skewers and add 5 cubes on each and put it in the tandoor and let it cook until golden brown and fully cooked.

For the rice

• 1 kg Basmati rice
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 1 cup oil
• 2 tomatoes (chopped)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 6 cloves
• 2-star anise
• 2 bay leaves

Cooking

Take a bowl and add 5 glasses of water and rice in it and let it soak for 1 hour. Take a pan and turn the heat on and add oil, onions, tomatoes and saute it for 15 minutes. Now take a large cooking pot and add the soak rice and water to it and give it a boil.

Now add the onion mixture to the rice pot and give it a stir and cover the lid for 15 minutes. Now add the salt, coriander, turmeric, cloves, star anise, and bay leaves and mix it. Again cover the lid for 15 minutes and after 15 minutes remove star anise, bay leaves and cover the lid for 10 minutes.

Now take a large plate or whatever you want to serve on it and add the rice to the plate and then put some pieces of Lamb on it and top with Daqqus and some fresh herbs.