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Jordanian Mansaf

🇯🇴 Jordan

Servings: 8 Prep: 30 minutes Cook: 2 hours Total: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs lamb shoulder, cut into medium pieces
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or ghee
  • water, enough to cover lamb
  • 10 green cardamom pods
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or ghee
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 cups white rice
  • 2 1/2 cups lamb stock (or water)
  • 7 oz jameed ball (or substitute, see note)
  • 2 cups prepared lamb stock
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 large pieces markook or lavash bread, torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted in olive oil until golden
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 4 green onions, sliced (optional)
  • radishes, sliced (optional)
  • sumac red onions (optional)

Steps

  1. Season lamb shoulder pieces with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil or ghee in a large pot and sear the lamb until browned.
  3. Add water to cover the lamb, along with cardamom pods, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and quartered onion.
  4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the lamb is tender, about 1.5 to 2 hours. Reserve the stock.
  5. In a separate pot, heat olive oil or ghee and stir in turmeric and salt.
  6. Add the rice and 2 1/2 cups of lamb stock (or water), bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.
  7. In a saucepan, whisk the jameed ball with 2 cups of prepared lamb stock until smooth.
  8. Bring the jameed mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly to prevent curdling.
  9. Mix cornstarch with a little water to make a slurry, then stir into the jameed sauce to thicken slightly.
  10. Continue simmering the sauce until smooth and slightly thickened, then fold in the cooked lamb pieces.
  11. To assemble, arrange torn markook or lavash bread on a large serving platter.
  12. Spread the cooked rice evenly over the bread.
  13. Top with the lamb and jameed sauce.
  14. Garnish with toasted almonds, chopped parsley, and optional sliced green onions, radishes, and sumac red onions.
  15. Serve warm, with extra jameed sauce on the side.

Notes

Jameed is a dried, fermented yogurt product traditional to Jordanian cuisine; if unavailable, a substitute made from yogurt and tahini is sometimes used.

Source: silkroadrecipes.com