Jordanian Mansaf with Yogurt Sauce
Jordanian Mansaf
Tender lamb simmered with warm jameed-style yogurt sauce, served over fragrant rice and flatbread with toasted almonds.
Mansaf is Jordan's great celebratory lamb and rice dish, traditionally served on a wide platter so everyone can gather around it. The heart of the dish is the tangy yogurt sauce, often made with dried fermented jameed, which gives the lamb and rice their unmistakable savory depth.
This home version uses plain yogurt with a little buttermilk to echo jameed's gentle tartness while staying practical for cooks who may not have access to the dried yogurt. The sauce is warmed carefully and stirred into lamb broth so it stays smooth and coats each piece of meat.
The rice should be fluffy, lightly golden from turmeric, and sturdy enough to hold the sauce. A layer of torn flatbread underneath catches the broth, while toasted almonds and parsley add crunch and freshness to the rich lamb.
Serve mansaf immediately after assembling, with extra warm yogurt sauce on the side. It is meant to feel abundant, aromatic, and communal rather than fussy.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Place the lamb, water, onion, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, allspice, and 2 teaspoons salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim the foam, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
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2
Cover the pot partly and cook for 90 to 105 minutes, until the lamb is very tender but still holds together. Transfer the lamb to a plate and strain the broth; reserve 4 1/2 cups broth for the sauce and rice.
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3
Whisk the yogurt, buttermilk, cornstarch, egg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan until completely smooth before turning on the heat.
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4
Set the yogurt mixture over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly in one direction, until it steams and thickens slightly. Slowly whisk in 2 cups warm lamb broth, then simmer gently for 8 minutes without boiling hard.
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5
Return the lamb pieces to the yogurt sauce and keep them warm over low heat while you cook the rice. Taste and season with black pepper and a little more salt if needed.
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6
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium pot. Stir in the rinsed rice and turmeric for 1 minute, then add 2 1/2 cups reserved lamb broth. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 18 minutes.
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7
Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff it gently so the grains stay separate.
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8
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet and toast the slivered almonds over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant.
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9
Arrange the torn flatbread on a large platter and moisten it with a few spoonfuls of warm yogurt sauce. Spoon the rice over the bread, place the lamb on top, and ladle more sauce over the meat.
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10
Finish with toasted almonds and parsley. Serve right away with the remaining warm yogurt sauce in a bowl on the side.
Ingredients
- Bone-in lamb shoulder pieces:3 lb
- Water:8 cups
- Yellow onion, halved:1 large
- Bay leaves:2
- Green cardamom pods, lightly crushed:6
- Whole cloves:4
- Ground allspice:1 tsp
- Fine salt:2 1/2 tsp
- Plain whole-milk yogurt:3 cups
- Buttermilk:1 cup
- Cornstarch:1 1/2 tbsp
- Large egg:1
- Long-grain rice, rinsed:2 1/2 cups
- Unsalted butter:3 tbsp
- Ground turmeric:1/2 tsp
- Flatbread or shrak bread, torn into large pieces:3 pieces
- Slivered almonds:3/4 cup
- Chopped parsley:1/3 cup
- Black pepper:to taste
Tips & Notes
- If you have real jameed, soak and blend it according to the package directions, then use it in place of the yogurt and buttermilk mixture.
- Keep the yogurt sauce below a hard boil once the lamb returns to the pot; gentle heat helps it stay smooth.
- Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear so the finished platter is fluffy instead of sticky.
- Mansaf is best assembled just before serving so the bread softens without dissolving.
