Mansaf

Description

Mansaf is the national dish of Jordan and a meal you would expect to experience if you were to ever visit. However, it is also very popular throughout the Middle East and Levant region. It is a celebratory meal that is served at many family gatherings. Today I will show you how you can make this authentic dish at home.

The meat, traditionally lamb, is cooked in a yogurt sauce. This utterly unforgettable sauce is called Jameed. Jameed is a critical ingredient in making Mansaf. Jameed is a fermented milk product made from sheep or goat milk. It has a very distinctive taste and smell. In Jordan, Jameed is fermented, salted and strained and then rolled into balls. The balls are dried and hardened. This is how Jordanians would preserve the milk without refrigeration, until they wanted to use it.

ingredients

• Shrak or Tortilla bread
• Liquid Jameed
• Rice
• Lamb meat
• Yogurt
• Ghee
• Onion
• Cinnamon
• Turmeric
• Peppercorn
• Bay leaves
• Garlic
• Cornstarch
• Salt

Steps

1. Fill a deep pot with water and bring to a boil. Add meat and wait for the water to boil again.
2. Let the meat boil with water for 5 minutes then take the meat pieces out and dump the water.
3. In the same pot melt 2 tablespoons of ghee then add onions.
4. Sauté for a couple of minutes then add the spices.
5. Add the meat cubes and brown for about 5 minutes.
6. Cover with hot water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until done. This will probably take about 75 minutes.
7. In a pot melt ghee and then add rice. Stir rice until the rice grains are covered with ghee. Mix in turmeric and salt, then pour in water.
8. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook until done.
9. When the meat is done start making the Jameed sauce. In a bowl add yogurt and sprinkle with cornstarch. Mix the cornstarch in using a whisk. Pour in the liquid Jameed (soup starter) and whisk well.
10. Then mix in about 1 ½ cups of the meat broth.
11. In a pot over medium heat melt ghee, then sauté garlic for just 30 seconds. Pour in the Jameed mixture whisking everything well and bring to a boil.
12. Add in cooked meat. Taste and season to your liking. Let everything cook together for about 10 minutes over medium heat.
13. Right before serving assemble the dish. In a big platter arrange the bread.
14. Ladle some of the Jameed sauce on top.
15. Spread the rice over the bread.
16. Place lamb meat on top of the rice. Ladle some more Jameed sauce over and sprinkle top with toasted almonds and chopped parsley.