Bone-in lamb (leg or shoulder) marinated with garlic, ginger, mandi spice, dried lime, and salt, then steam-cooked in a heavy pot, browned in the oven, and served over basmati rice cooked in the spiced broth, finished with toasted nuts and cilantro.
Mandi is one of Yemen's original dishes, traditionally cooked in a taboon with lamb. The home version uses a heavy pot with a steaming technique.
During Ramadan it is cooked at suhoor for those who enjoy traditional cooking. The meat cooks slowly in the steam and releases its juices into the rice. The dish fills the house with the aroma of saffron and meat.
Rub the meat with the garlic, ginger, mandi spice, dried lime, and salt. Marinate for 30 minutes.
In a heavy pot, place a layer of onion at the bottom. Place the meat on top and cover with a lid. Cook on very low heat for two hours until the meat is fully tender.
Lift the meat and brown it in a 200°C oven for 10 minutes until it takes on a golden color.
In the same pot, sauté the remaining onion for 5 minutes. Add the tomato, remaining spices, and broth. Add the rice and cook for 25 minutes.
Return the meat over the rice and cover for 10 minutes. Melt the saffron and sprinkle it.
Invert it onto a large plate and garnish with the almonds, pine nuts, and cilantro. Serve with hot daqqus.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Mandi (Yemeni Lamb and Rice), and how to fix them:
Add 30 more minutes of steam. Frozen meat needs longer.
Add a cup of broth and leave for 10 minutes.
Double the mandi spice and add extra dried lime.
Moisten it with hot broth after steaming.
Three days. Reheat with a spoon of broth.
Two months. Freeze the meat separately from the rice.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| lamb | beef | 1:1 | 30 minutes longer steaming time. |
| basmati rice | Egyptian rice | 1:1 | thicker texture. |
| mandi spice | madbi spice | 1:1 | different but acceptable flavor. |
| Ingredient | 6 people | 12 people | 18 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meat | 1200 g | 2400 g | 3600 g |
| Rice | 500 g | 1000 g | 1500 g |
| Onion | 200 g | 400 g | 600 g |
| Broth | 1.5 L | 3 L | 4.5 L |
Use a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. The onion at the bottom burns slightly and gives a smoky flavor. Brown the meat in the oven after steaming to give it color and a crust. The saffron at the end makes the difference.
The EEINA app saves your favorite recipes, calculates them from their real ingredients, and shows your daily numbers toward your goal. Try it free now.
