Jordanian Lamb Mansaf

Close up of Jordanian lamb mansaf with rice, nuts and herbs

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4.20 from 15 votes

The combination of rice, lamb, spice and nuts makes this Jordanian Lamb Mansaf a treasure across the Middle East.

Prep Time20

Cook Time2 30

Total Time2 50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Arab, Jordanian

Servings:

Calories: 782kcal

Author: Lee

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black peppercorns
1½ tsp salt
1 onion (chopped)
2.2 lb lamb pieces (cut into large chunks)(around 1kg - bone in or boneless)

For the rice:

½ teaspoon turmeric
2 cups of the lamb cooking liquid
1 cup water
1½ cups basmati rice

For the Jameed Sauce

1 Jameed soup starter (liquid) (around 21oz/600g)
1 cup Greek yoghurt (plain)
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1½ cups of the lamb cooking liquid

Other:

1 Shrak/Marouk Bread (or any large flatbread or combination of smaller flatbreads to allow you to cover a large platter and create a surface for the masnaf.)
¼ cup parsley (finely chopped)
½ cup slivered almonds (fried in 1tbsp of oil until golden, then drained on paper towels).

Instructions

Cooking the lamb

Heat a large Dutch oven pan with the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the lamb pieces and fry to brown on all sides (about 3-4 minutes). Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
To the same pan, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt and fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped onion and fry for 2-3 minutes until softened slightly.
Return the lamb pieces to the pan along with 5 cups of water and stir well. Bring this to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently (covered) for 1½-2 hours*, until the lamb is soft.
*The time will depend on how large your pieces are or whether they're boneless or bone in, the lamb should be tender and pull apart easily.
Strain the lamb through a sieve retaining all the cooking liquid and set both aside.

Cooking the rice

Towards the end of the lamb cooking, rinse the rice in clean water draining a few times until the water runs clear. Top with water and soak for 20 minutes.
To a saucepan, pour in 2 cups of the lamb cooking liquid, the turmeric and 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer.
Drain the soaking rice and add this to the simmering liquid. Stir once and bring to a simmer once again. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook gently without stirring for 10-12 minutes until the rice is cooked through and all the liquid has evaporated.
Remove the lid and cover the pan with a clean tea towel, then return the lid and leave rest while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Cooking the jameed sauce

In a saucepan, whisk the jameed starter, yoghurt, minced garlic, cornstarch, and 1½ cups of the lamb cooking liquid. Turn on the heat and let this come to a simmer. Stir regularly to avoid it catching on the bottom of the pan.
Simmer gently on a low heat for 10 minutes to cook and thicken the sauce.
Add the cooked lamb to the jameed (along with everything that cooked with it) to the pan and let this simmer for a further 10 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Arranging the dish

Place the flatbread on a large platter. If you're using smaller flatbreads, arrange them to cover the whole platter in one layer.
Using a fork, fluff up the rice then spoon it over the flatbread into a thick layer.
Add the lamb pieces on top and then spoon over a little of the jameed sauce
Scatter over the toasted almonds and chopped parsley.
Serve in the centre of the table for everyone to help themselves with the remaining jameed sauce on the side for anyone who wants more.

Notes

Serve communal style for people to tuck into. Tradition sees people take a piece of bread and use it as a vessel to hold the lamb and rice. You can of course serve the rice and lamb on a large platter without a bread base and serve flatbreads on the side.

Leftovers fridge - leftovers may be kept in the fridge in airight containers for 3-4 days in the fridge (the bread will be soggy, so either don't store as a leftover or eat it soggy!
Freeze - You may freeze the meat in the sauce and the rice separately for 3+ months in airtight containers. Reheat separately in the microwave and arrange the dish as normal when everything is piping hot.

Nutrition