Mansaf: Traditional Jordanian Lamb with Jameed Sauce and Aromatic Rice Recipe
Mansaf is a traditional Jordanian lamb dish featuring tender lamb cooked with aromatic spices and served over turmeric-infused rice. The highlight is the rich and tangy Jameed yogurt sauce that brings together the savory flavors of meat and rice, garnished with toasted almonds and fresh parsley for a festive and comforting meal.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients
Scale
Lamb and Spices
- 2 pounds lamb meat (preferably bone-in)
- 2 tablespoons ghee (or clarified butter)
- 1 onion (cut into chunks or sliced)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Rice
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 cups short grain rice
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- Salt to taste
- 2½ to 2 ⅔ cups water
Jameed Sauce
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 packet liquid Jameed
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
Garnish
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds
- 1/2 bunch parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Blanch the Meat: Fill a deep pot with enough water to cover the lamb meat. Bring the water to a boil, add the lamb, and wait for it to boil again.
- Drain and Discard Water: Let the lamb boil for 5 minutes, then remove the meat pieces and discard the water to remove impurities.
- Sauté Onions: In the same pot, melt 2 tablespoons of ghee, then add the onions and sauté for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
- Brown the Meat with Spices: Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and lamb meat cubes to the pot. Brown everything together for about 5 minutes to deepen flavors.
- Simmer the Meat: Cover the meat with hot water and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer gently for approximately 75 minutes until the lamb is tender.
- Prepare the Rice: In a separate pot, melt ghee, then add the rice. Stir the rice so each grain is coated with ghee.
- Season and Cook Rice: Mix in turmeric and salt, then pour in the water. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat, cover the pot, and cook until rice is tender and water absorbed.
- Prepare the Jameed Sauce Base: In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt and cornstarch to combine them thoroughly.
- Add Liquid Jameed and Broth: Pour in the liquid Jameed and whisk well, then add about 1 1/2 cups of the hot meat broth, mixing until smooth.
- Sauté Garlic: In a pot over medium heat, melt ghee and sauté minced garlic for 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Cook the Jameed Sauce: Pour the yogurt and Jameed mixture into the pot, whisking constantly, and bring it to a boil.
- Add Cooked Meat to Sauce: Incorporate the cooked lamb pieces into the sauce, season to taste, and simmer together for about 10 minutes on medium heat to meld flavors.
- Assemble the Mansaf: On a large serving platter, arrange traditional flatbread or similar bread as a base and ladle some of the Jameed sauce over it.
- Add Rice and Meat: Spread the cooked turmeric rice over the bread layer, then place the lamb meat on top.
- Finish with Sauce and Garnishes: Ladle additional Jameed sauce over the meat and rice, then sprinkle toasted almonds and chopped fresh parsley on top for garnish.
Notes
- The initial boiling and draining step helps remove impurities from the lamb for a cleaner broth.
- Short grain rice is preferred for its texture and ability to absorb flavors.
- Liquid Jameed is a traditional fermented dried yoghurt liquid; if unavailable, plain yogurt with a bit of salt can be a substitute but flavor will differ.
- Ghee provides a rich, buttery flavor traditional to this dish but clarified butter can be used as a substitute.
- Serving Mansaf with flatbread underneath is traditional and helps soak up the savory sauce.
- For authentic taste, simmer the lamb gently to keep it tender and flavorful.
- Adjust salt after adding the sauce, as Jameed can be salty.
Keywords: Mansaf, Jordanian lamb dish, Jameed sauce, turmeric rice, traditional Middle Eastern recipe
