Mansaf (Jordanian Lamb in Fermented Yogurt Sauce with Rice)
Local name: منسف
In short: Tender lamb in a rich, sour sauce of dried fermented yogurt, served over turmeric rice and thin flatbread with toasted nuts. It takes about 3 h 10 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 2 h 30 min
- Resting
- 12 h
- Total
- 3 h 10 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 880 kcal
Mansaf is the dish Jordanians cook for weddings, holidays and any gathering that calls for real hospitality. Bone-in lamb simmers until tender, then finishes in a sauce made from jameed, a dried fermented yogurt with a deep, salty sourness. The meat is piled over turmeric rice and thin flatbread, scattered with toasted pine nuts and almonds, and served on one big platter with extra sauce alongside.
Instructions
- The night before, break the dried jameed into small pieces, cover with the 750 ml (3 cups) warm water and soak for 8 to 12 hours, until completely soft. Skip this step if you are using liquid jameed.
- Put the lamb, onion, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, salt and the 2 liters (8 cups) water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off the grey foam for the first 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the lamb is fork-tender and pulls easily from the bone. Lift the meat out and keep it warm. Strain the broth and measure out 250 ml (1 cup) for the sauce.
- Blend the soaked jameed with its soaking water until completely smooth, then pour it through a fine sieve into a wide, clean pot, pressing out any lumps.
- Add the 250 ml (1 cup) broth and warm over medium heat, stirring constantly in one direction only. When it begins to steam, stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce coats a spoon. Never let it boil hard.
- Slide the lamb into the sauce and hold it at the barest simmer for 15 minutes so the meat takes on the flavor. Taste, and add salt only if needed, because jameed is already salty.
- For the rice, melt the 2 tbsp ghee in a pot over medium heat. Stir in the rice and turmeric for 1 minute, then add the hot water and 3/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Rest covered for 10 minutes, then fluff.
- Fry the pine nuts and almonds in 1 tbsp ghee over medium heat, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Tip them onto a plate right away so they do not burn.
- Tear the flatbreads and lay them over a large platter. Spoon over a ladle of warm sauce to soften them, then mound the rice on top and arrange the lamb over the rice. Scatter with the nuts and parsley and serve the rest of the hot sauce in a jug.
Tips
- If you cannot find jameed, whisk 1 kg (4 cups) full-fat plain yogurt with 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tsp salt, then heat it very gently, stirring in one direction. The sauce will be milder, but still creamy and good.
- Keep the sauce below a boil and stir in one direction only. Once a jameed sauce splits it is hard to rescue, so if it looks grainy, blend it for a few seconds with an immersion blender.
Questions and answers
What is jameed?
Jameed is salted, strained goat or sheep milk yogurt that has been dried until rock hard. Soaked and blended, it makes a sour, salty, creamy sauce. Middle Eastern grocers sell it as hard balls, as a paste or as a ready-made liquid.
Why is mansaf sauce stirred in one direction?
Cooks stir one way and keep the heat low because the sauce splits easily when it is agitated or boiled hard. The cornstarch adds extra stability for home kitchens.
How is mansaf eaten?
It is served on one large shared platter, traditionally eaten with the right hand by rolling rice and meat into small balls. At many family meals people use a spoon instead. Extra hot sauce is poured over each portion.
How long does it take to make Mansaf (Jordanian Lamb in Fermented Yogurt Sauce with Rice)?
About 3 h 10 min in total: 40 min of preparation and 2 h 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Mansaf (Jordanian Lamb in Fermented Yogurt Sauce with Rice)?
About 880 kcal per serving, with 52 g of protein, 82 g of carbohydrates and 38 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 880 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 52 g |
| Carbohydrates | 82 g |
| Fat | 38 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Sodium | 1400 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
