Jordanian Recipes

Jordanian cooking draws on Bedouin desert traditions, village life in the hills and the shared kitchens of the Levant. The national dish, mansaf, shows the mix: lamb simmered in a sauce of dried fermented yogurt (jameed), piled over rice and thin bread and eaten from one big platter at weddings and gatherings. Everyday food leans on lentils, chickpeas, fava beans, rice, olive oil, tomatoes and yogurt, with flatbread at every meal. Spices are gentle and aromatic: cardamom, cumin, allspice, sumac and za'atar. Breakfast often means fava beans, hummus, falafel and fresh vegetables scooped up with warm bread. Sheep and goat are the main meats, and chicken is common for weekday cooking. Meals end with small cups of cardamom coffee, and sweets such as knafeh and qatayef take over during Ramadan and Eid.

Staple ingredients

• lamb
• jameed (dried yogurt)
• rice
• lentils and chickpeas
• olive oil
• sumac and za'atar
• tahini
• cardamom

• Breakfast 1
• Soups 1
• Salads 1
• Main Dishes 5
• Breads 1
• Desserts 2
• Drinks 1

Breakfast

• Ful Medames (Jordanian Fava Bean Breakfast with Lemon and Chili)JO2 h 20 minEasy

Soups

• Shorbat Adas (Jordanian Red Lentil Soup with Cumin and Lemon)JO55 minEasy

Salads

• Fattoush (Crunchy Pita Salad with Sumac Dressing)JO28 minEasy

Main Dishes

• Mansaf (Jordanian Lamb in Fermented Yogurt Sauce with Rice)JO3 h 10 minMedium
• Maqluba (Upside-Down Rice with Chicken and Vegetables)JO2 hMedium
• Mujaddara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions)JO1 h 15 minEasy
• Mulukhiyah (Jute Leaf Stew with Chicken and Garlic)JO1 h 15 minEasy
• Musakhan (Roast Chicken with Sumac Onions on Flatbread)JO1 h 55 minMedium

Breads

• Manakish Zaatar (Za'atar and Olive Oil Flatbreads)JO50 minEasy

Desserts

• Knafeh Nabulsiyeh (Crisp Shredded Pastry with Sweet Cheese)JO1 h 25 minMedium
• Qatayef (Stuffed Ramadan Pancakes with Walnuts and Syrup)JO1 h 20 minMedium

Drinks

• Qahwa Sada (Jordanian Cardamom Coffee)JO20 minEasy