Mansaf (Jordanian Lamb in Jameed Sauce)

About This Recipe

Mansaf (منسف) is the beating heart of Jordanian hospitality — a dish so central to Bedouin identity that it is served at every wedding, funeral, and celebration of consequence. The dish hinges on jameed, a hard, dried and fermented goat or sheep yogurt from the Badia desert region, which is reconstituted into a rich, gamey, tangy broth utterly unlike any fresh dairy product. Lamb shoulder or shank simmers in this broth until the meat falls from the bone, absorbing the deep mineral flavour of the fermented milk. The whole assembly is layered over a base of thin flatbread (shrak), then mounded with saffron-tinted long-grain rice, and finally crowned with the lamb pieces, a drizzle of ghee, and a cascade of fried almonds and pine nuts. Traditionally eaten communally while standing around a large tray, mansaf is a living expression of Bedouin generosity known as karam. Documented in its current layered form in the cookbooks and travellers' accounts of the Levant from at least the 18th century, the dish remains the most recognisable symbol of Jordanian cuisine globally.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 kgbone-in lamb shoulder(cut into large pieces)
• 300 gjameed(hard dried yogurt block, or 2 cups liquid jameed)
• 2 cupslong-grain rice(washed and soaked 30 min)
• 1 largeonion(quartered)
• 4 wholecardamom pods
• 2 wholecinnamon sticks
• 1 tspturmeric
• 1/4 tspsaffron threads(bloomed in 2 tbsp warm water)
• 3 tbspghee
• 50 gblanched almonds
• 50 gpine nuts
• 1 tspground allspice
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 2 tspsalt
• 2 piecesshrak flatbread(or thin lavash)
• 1/4 cupfresh parsley(chopped, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Reconstitute the jameed

   If using a solid jameed block, break it into chunks and soak in 4 cups warm water overnight or for at least 4 hours, stirring until dissolved into a thick, pungent liquid. Strain out any impurities through a fine sieve.

   Liquid jameed from a jar (available at Middle Eastern grocers) skips this step — use 2 cups thinned with 2 cups water.

2. 2

   Brown the lamb

   In a large heavy pot, heat 1 tbsp ghee over high heat. Brown the lamb pieces in batches until deep golden on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Remove and set aside.

3. 3

   Simmer lamb in spiced broth

   In the same pot, add the onion, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, turmeric, and salt. Return lamb to the pot and cover with 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then simmer covered for 1.5 hours until the lamb is very tender.

4. 4

   Add jameed and finish cooking

   Remove 2 cups of lamb cooking broth and stir it into the reconstituted jameed to temper it. Pour the tempered jameed mixture back into the pot. Simmer gently — do not boil vigorously — for 20 more minutes. The sauce should be creamy and fragrant.

   Boiling jameed hard can make it grainy. Keep heat at a gentle simmer.

5. 5

   Cook the rice

   In a separate pot, heat 1 tbsp ghee over medium heat. Add the drained rice and stir to coat. Add 3.5 cups of the strained lamb broth (from step 3) and the bloomed saffron. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, and cook on very low heat for 18 minutes. Rest covered for 10 minutes.

6. 6

   Fry the nuts

   In a small pan, melt the remaining 1 tbsp ghee over medium heat. Fry the almonds until golden, about 2 minutes, then add pine nuts and fry 1 more minute. Drain on paper towel.

7. 7

   Assemble and serve

   Lay the shrak flatbread on a large serving tray. Mound the saffron rice on top. Arrange the lamb pieces over the rice. Ladle generous amounts of jameed sauce over everything. Scatter fried nuts and parsley. Serve remaining jameed sauce in a bowl on the side.

Variations

• •

  Chicken mansaf: substitute a whole chicken cut into pieces, reduce simmering time to 45 minutes.

• •

  Modern plated mansaf: serve in individual deep bowls rather than communal tray for restaurant presentation.

Storage

Store lamb and jameed sauce separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat sauce gently over low heat; do not boil. Rice is best freshly made.

Frequently Asked Questions