Jordanian Mansaf | Lamb Meat Cooked in Jameed Sauce
Mansaf, the national dish of Jordan is made with lamb meat cooked in liquid jameed and served with yellow rice and fried nuts on shrak.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 660kcal
Ingredients
For the Lamb Stock
- 1 kg mutton or lamb bone-in
- 1 large onion chunked
- 3 to 5 green cardamom
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- water to cover the meat
For the Jameed Sauce
- 1 cup liquid Jameed (Laban Jameed)
- 1 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup yoghurt whisked
For the Rice
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 green cardamom
- 2 cups basmati rice rinsed and soaked for 20 to 30 minutes
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 4 cups hot water to cook the rice
- Salt to taste
For the Garnish
- ⅓ cup almonds slivered or whole, toasted lightly
- shrak bread optional (see notes)
Instructions
Make the Lamb Stock
- Add all the stock ingredients to a large deep pot and bring it to a full boil.1 kg mutton or lamb, 1 large onion, 3 to 5 green cardamom, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon ghee, water
- Skim and discard the foamy layer that forms at the top with a ladle. This is to remove the impurities.
- Boil for at least 30 minutes or until the meat is just cooked.
- Fish out the meat and keep them aside.
- Strain the stock and discard the solids.
Make the Jameed Sauce
- Add back the stock to a clean pot along with liquid jameed, whisked yoghurt and ground pepper. Stir constantly on low to medium flame to prevent curdling. Add salt if necessary.1 cup liquid Jameed, 1 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper, ½ cup yoghurt
- Add the cooked meat and let it simmer on low flame until the sauce is thick enough to coat the meat as a glaze and meat is tender to fall off the bone.
Prepare the Yellow Rice
- In a large thick-bottomed deep pot, heat the ghee on medium to high flame. Add the cardamom, drained rice and turmeric powder. Saute to fully coat the grains in the oil.1 tablespoon ghee, 1 green cardamom, 2 cups basmati rice, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Add the boiled hot water and salt to taste. Bring to a full boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until most of the water has been absorbed.4 cups hot water, Salt to taste
- When you see the rice has surfaced without much water, stir once, and cover the pot with foil or kitchen towel and then with a heavy lid. Cook covered for 5 to 6 minutes and then remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes.
Assemble Mansaf
- Place the shrak or any thin flatbread on a large platter. You may tear up the bread into smaller pieces and spread to cover the platter.shrak bread
- Fluff the rice and gently spoon on a mound on top of the bread.
- Place the lamb pieces and pour most of the prepared jameed sauceall over the rice.
- Sprinkle some toasted almonds or pine nuts.⅓ cup almonds
- Serve along with the remaining jameed sauce and salad on the side.
Notes
Shrak: A thin arabic bread that resembles Indian Rumali Roti in size and texture. You can use any similar bread to line the serving platter. The best way to know how many bread to use is to fully cover the serving platter you will be using with the whole or torn bread pieces.
Nutrition
Calories: 660kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 25g
