Description
A traditional Jordanian dish featuring lamb shoulder simmered in a flavorful broth and topped with a tangy jameed yogurt sauce, served over flatbread and turmeric rice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 lbs (1.4kg) bone-in lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks
- 1 large yellow onion, halved
- 6 whole cardamom pods, lightly cracked
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 8 cups (2 liters) water
- 1 lb (450g) liquid jameed
- 1 cup (240ml) reserved lamb broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
- 2 cups (400g) basmati rice, soaked 20 minutes
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3½ cups (840ml) reserved lamb broth
- 2–3 sheets shrak or markook bread
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
- ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Place lamb, halved onion, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt in a large pot. Cover with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, skim foam for the first 5 minutes. Reduce to a steady simmer. Cover and cook 90–120 minutes until the lamb is completely tender and falling from the bone. Remove lamb and set aside. Strain and reserve all the broth.
- In a large pot over low heat, whisk together the jameed, 1 cup of reserved lamb broth and cornstarch until completely smooth. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 10–15 minutes until warmed through and slightly thickened. Do not boil. Add the ghee. Add the cooked lamb pieces. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Heat ghee in a saucepan over medium heat. Add drained rice. Stir for 2 minutes to toast. Add turmeric and salt. Pour in 3½ cups of reserved lamb broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to lowest heat, cover tightly and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from heat and rest covered for 10 minutes.
- Melt 1 tablespoon ghee in a small pan. Add pine nuts and almonds. Toast for 2–3 minutes until golden. Set aside immediately.
- On a large round serving platter, lay the shrak bread as the base, tear into rough pieces to cover. Ladle 1–2 cups of jameed sauce over the bread. Fluff the rice and pile it over the bread. Arrange the lamb pieces over the rice. Ladle more jameed sauce generously over the lamb. Scatter the toasted nuts and fresh parsley over the top.
Notes
Mansaf is ideal for making ahead; it can be refrigerated in its broth for up to 2 days. The jameed sauce can be made a day ahead and reheated gently. Serve with Arabic coffee or sweet mint tea.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 120 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Jordanian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 40g
- Cholesterol: 90mg