Pat goat pieces dry. In a bowl combine yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, ground coriander, ground cumin, black pepper, red chili powder, turmeric, salt, lemon juice and 1 tbsp oil. Coat goat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally 3–4 hours (up to overnight).

Fry / Cooking

Spice temper and fry onions

Heat 1 tbsp ghee (or butter) plus 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf; fry 30 seconds until aromatic. Add sliced onion and slit green chili; sauté until onions are golden brown and soft, about 6–8 minutes. Remove half the onions for garnish and keep warm.

Pan-fry goat

Increase heat to medium-high and add remaining 2 tbsp oil. Add marinated goat pieces in a single layer (work in two batches if needed). Fry 3–4 minutes per side until well browned and crusted (internal juices will still be pink if pieces are thick). Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 10–12 minutes more until goat is cooked through and tender (internal temperature ~75–80°C / 165–176°F) — time depends on piece size. Spoon some of the onion-spice mixture over the pieces while cooking.

Finish

If you prefer, add 2 tbsp tomato puree and 1 tsp chili paste to the pan after the goat is mostly cooked, stir to glaze and simmer 2–3 minutes to develop a light sauce. Taste and adjust salt.

Mandi Rice & Assembly

Cook rice

While goat finishes, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 0.5 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp cumin seeds. Drain soaked basmati rice and add to boiling water. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10–12 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let rest covered 5 minutes.

Assemble mandi single portion

Fluff rice with a fork and mix in toasted almonds and chopped cilantro. On a serving plate place a bed of rice, top with the fried goat pieces and spoon remaining onion-spice mixture over the meat and rice. Garnish with reserved fried onions and a lemon wedge.

Sauce / Condiments

Serve the plate with the tomato/chili glaze spooned alongside or drizzled over the meat. Offer extra lemon wedge to squeeze over the goat for brightness.