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Mansaf is a delicious Jordanian dish with distinct flavors that includes bread, rice, meat, and a rich and tangy yogurt sauce. 

Authentic Mansaf

Fatimah
A flavorful Mansaf is a traditional dish in Jordan composed of layers of bread, rice, and tender chunks of lamb served with a special yogurt sauce. A must-try recipe!
5 from 5 Ratings
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Jordanian
Servings 8
Calories 485 kcal

Ingredients
  

For Initial Boil:

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • lamb shoulder
  • water to cover
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf

For the Rice:

  • 3 cups calrose rice washed well, a few times, do not soak
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups hot water
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • ½ tablespoon ghee

Mansaf Broth

  • 7 pounds lamb shoulder about 7-8 Large pieces
  • 2 pounds jameed dry fermented yogurt, aout 2 small heads (or 2 liquid soup starter packets)
  • 1 cup water for jameed soak
  • 8 cups yogurt drink
  • 1 pound labaneh optional* see notes
  • 1½ tablespoons mansaf spices
  • ½ tablespoon black pepper
  • 4 cardamom pods cracked
  • salt to taste
  • water to cover
  • 1 tbsp ghee

Instructions
 

  • Break the fermented yogurt (jameed) into small pieces and place in a bowl, then add 1 cup of boiling water on top,  cover it, and let it sit for a minimum of 1 hour, preferably 4+ hours.
  • I like to do an initial boil for my lamb to get rid of the gamy taste and gunk, so I add 1 tablespoon of oil to a pot and heat it up. Add the lamb and sear for 1 minute, then add the onion, spices, and mix.
  • Add enough hot water to cover and let it sit on high heat for 10–15 minutes, until it boils. Once boiling, remove the lamb and discard the spices and onion.
  • Now to the same pot, Add the lamb shoulder and the Mansaf spices along with the black pepper and cardamom pods, and add enough hot water to cover. Let it come to a boil before lowering the heat to medium and covering it to cook for about 45 minutes. Once the 45 minutes are up, strain the broth and set it aside. Return the lamb to the pot.
  • As that's cooking, add the soaked jameed pieces (withthe water) into a blender along with the Labneh and yogurt drink, and blend on high speed until smooth.
  • Add the yogurt sauce to the lamb, using a strainer to make sure it stays smooth. Now add 2 cups of the leftover strained broth and mix. Keep mixing on medium heat until it foams, about 10–15 minutes.
  • Once it is done, cover and let it cool for another 45 minutes, or until the Iamb is tender. Finish it off with the tbsp of ghee.

For the Rice:

  • Once rice is washed, strain it, and add oil and ghee to a pot on high heat, then add the rice once the ghee is melted.
  • Add the salt and turmeric and mix.
  • Add the hot water and let it come to a boil about 5 minutes.
  • Now lower the heat to low, and cover for another 15-20 minutes or until done.

For Assembling:

  • To assemble the platter, you can start by adding a layer of shrak (thin bread) on the bottom. Drizzle about ½ cup yogurt soup over the top. Now layer the rice on it and add the lamb. Top with toasted almonds or pine nuts and parsley. Strain the yogurt soup into a bowl, and now the cardamom pods will come out. Serve and enjoy.
  • Take a bit of lamb, bread and rice to make a ball, then pop into your mouth in one bite! Enjoy

Notes

  • The sauce must be neither too thick nor too runny; it should have the consistency of thin gravy.
  • I like adding Labneh ONLY when my jameed isnt sour. labneh can give a tang and you can do without it!
  • Authentic Mansaf, like most Middle Eastern rice dishes, is topped with crunchy toasted or fried nuts. Don't skip this step because it adds a unique flavor and crunch to the rice. Here's a tip: fry the nuts in ghee right before serving.
  • Use a pressure cooker instead of a regular cooking pot to cook the lamb faster. In less than an hour, the meat will be tender.
  • Each jameed rock can be substituted with 1 packet of soup starter (liquid jameed). 
  • Freeze the left over yogurt! I strain it and add it to an airtight ziplock bag and use it for another round of mansaf or other yogurt dishes! Works like a charm, and freezes well for months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 39gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 418mgPotassium: 605mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Authentic Mansaf, Jordanian mansaf, Mansaf
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