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Jordanian Mansaf (Lamb with Jameed) Recipe

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4 from 4 reviews

Jordanian Mansaf is a traditional and iconic dish featuring tender lamb cooked with aromatic spices, served over fragrant rice and topped with a rich, tangy jameed sauce made from fermented dried yogurt. This recipe showcases the authentic flavors of Jordanian cuisine and involves slow-cooking lamb to perfection, preparing flavorful rice with turmeric, and blending jameed into a silky sauce. The dish is garnished with toasted almonds and fresh parsley, served atop thin markook bread for a complete cultural experience.

  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Lamb and Broth

  • 1½-2 kilogram bone-in lamb shoulder (cut into medium sized pieces)
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
  • water to cover lamb
  • 10 cardamom pods
  • 5 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns

Rice

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 cups medium grain rice (Egyptian rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes)
  • 3 cups prepared lamb stock (or water, if needed)

Jameed Sauce

  • 500 grams liquid jameed
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups prepared lamb stock

For Serving and Garnish

  • 2 large pieces of thin bread like markook
  • ½ cup blanched almonds (toasted in olive oil until golden brown)
  • ½ cup parsley (chopped)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Lamb: In a large bowl, sprinkle the lamb pieces with 1½ teaspoons of salt. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or ghee in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, sear the lamb pieces for 2-3 minutes on each side until they are lightly golden. Cover the lamb with water and add the cardamom pods, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and black peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and simmer on medium heat for 1½ hours until the lamb is tender. Alternatively, sear the lamb in an instant pot and pressure cook for 40 minutes for a quicker option.
  2. Strain the Broth: Once the lamb is cooked, strain the broth and set it aside. Reserve 3 cups of the lamb stock for cooking the rice and keep at least 2-3 cups for the jameed sauce. If necessary, add water to the broth to make a total of 5 cups.
  3. Cook the Rice: In a medium pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or ghee and add ¼ teaspoon turmeric and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir to combine, then add the washed and soaked rice. Pour in 3 cups of the reserved lamb broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and cook the rice for 20 minutes. After cooking, fluff the rice with a fork and cover with a towel to allow the steam to further absorb.
  4. Prepare the Jameed Sauce: In a large blender, combine the 500 grams of liquid jameed, 2 cups of reserved lamb broth, and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Blend until smooth and well mixed.
  5. Cook the Jameed Sauce with Lamb: Transfer the jameed sauce to the pot used for cooking the lamb. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gradually add more broth until the sauce reaches a soupy consistency. If broth runs out, supplement with water. Add the cooked lamb pieces to the sauce and simmer together for 10 minutes on medium heat, ensuring not to boil the sauce.
  6. Assemble and Serve: On a large serving platter, lay down the markook bread as the base. Ladle some of the jameed sauce over the bread, then add the cooked rice on top. Arrange the lamb pieces over the rice and spoon additional jameed sauce on top. Garnish with toasted blanched almonds and chopped parsley. Serve the Mansaf hot for an authentic Jordanian feast experience.

Notes

  • Use bone-in lamb shoulder for the best flavor and tenderness.
  • Soaking the rice for 30 minutes before cooking enhances texture and shortens cooking time.
  • If you cannot find prepared lamb stock, water can be used instead but the flavor will be less rich.
  • Liquid jameed is a fermented dried yogurt product traditional to Jordanian cuisine; it can often be found in Middle Eastern specialty stores.
  • If cooking in an Instant Pot, sear the lamb using the sauté function before pressure cooking as directed.
  • Markook bread is a thin flatbread essential for serving Mansaf authentically and can be substituted with pita if unavailable.
  • To toast almonds, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and stir almonds until golden brown, being careful not to burn them.
  • Author: Monica
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Slow Cooking
  • Cuisine: Jordanian

Find it online: https://monicarecipes.com/jordanian-mansaf-lamb-with-jameed-recipe/