Mansaf stands as a cornerstone of Jordanian cuisine, a traditional Bedouin dish that brings together succulent lamb, fragrant rice, and a distinctive tangy yogurt sauce derived from jameed. This flavorful combination is artfully arranged atop Shrak, a characteristically thin Middle Eastern flatbread.
In our family, Mansaf isn’t just a meal; it’s a cherished culinary tradition. Year-round cravings for this Jordanian delicacy are common, and it’s always the most requested dish from our mother. Having learned the authentic recipe from her own mother in Jordan, she has passed down this culinary legacy, creating a version that, in our opinion, is unmatched.
Authentic Jordanian Mansaf: A flavorful dish with rice, yogurt sauce, and tender lamb, perfect for family gatherings.
Mansaf: Unpacking the Essential Ingredients
Mansaf is more than just a meal; it’s a dish prepared for significant occasions. From welcoming friends to somber funerals and joyous weddings, Mansaf is a central dish for large gatherings. It’s composed of several key elements, each playing a crucial role in the final dish:
- Lamb: Lamb is the undisputed protein for Mansaf. For an authentic taste, I source American Lamb Shoulder from my local Halal butcher. Starting with approximately 7 lbs, I request medium-large pieces with some fat trimmed, resulting in about 5.5 lbs of prime lamb. Clear communication with your butcher about the cut is essential. The lamb undergoes a rinsing process before being simmered in a flavorful broth for approximately 2 hours until it reaches tender perfection. This lamb broth is not discarded; it becomes the flavorful base for cooking the rice and enriching the yogurt sauce. This highlights the integral role of lamb in Mansaf, making high-quality American Lamb a key ingredient.
Preparing American Lamb Shoulder for Mansaf: A visual guide to rinsing, cutting into medium pieces, and trimming excess fat.
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Yogurt Sauce: The distinctive tangy flavor of Mansaf comes from its yogurt sauce, traditionally made with jameed. Jameed is a dehydrated, intensely flavored yogurt that is reconstituted with water, imparting a unique saltiness and tang to the sauce. While some recipes incorporate Mansaf spices into the yogurt, it’s often optional, and in my family recipe, we keep it simple. In our version, the jameed is blended with plain yogurt and the flavorful leftover lamb broth. For those who find jameed inaccessible, a ‘Jameed starter’, available in many Arab grocery stores, can be a convenient alternative – simply follow the package instructions for yogurt sauce preparation. However, this recipe will guide you through preparing Mansaf with traditional jameed.
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Rice: The rice component of Mansaf is designed to be light and fluffy, frequently enhanced with a touch of turmeric for a subtle yellow hue. Mansaf is a carbohydrate-rich dish, featuring both a bread base and a generous portion of rice. Typically, a long-grain white rice like jasmine rice is chosen for its fluffy texture.
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Bread: The bread used in Mansaf is exceptionally thin, almost translucent. It forms the foundational layer of the dish, often shredded into bite-sized pieces and lightly moistened with the yogurt sauce before the rice is layered on top. Shrak or Markouk bread (pictured below) is the traditional choice for this layer and is readily available in both fresh and frozen forms in most Middle Eastern markets.
Markouk Bread: Traditional thin flatbread, or Shrak, used as the base layer for authentic Mansaf.
Why Choose American Lamb for Your Mansaf?
American Lamb offers not just exceptional taste but also nutritional benefits. A 3-ounce serving of American Lamb provides approximately half of your daily protein needs with just 160 calories. It’s a nutritional powerhouse, rich in protein, zinc, iron, and vitamin B12, among other essential nutrients.
Furthermore, by selecting American lamb, you directly support local farmers and ranchers who are committed to sustainable land management and animal welfare. American lamb production spans across the United States, ensuring a year-round supply of fresh, local lamb. Opting for American Lamb guarantees a high-quality, nutrient-dense protein source. Notably, all kosher and halal-certified meat produced in the U.S. is American. To explore more about the advantages of American Lamb, including grazing practices and local availability, visit the American Lamb Board website.
Delicious Mansaf featuring tender American Lamb and flavorful rice: A close-up shot highlighting the texture and richness of the dish.
Crafting Authentic Mansaf: Step-by-Step
Creating the perfect Mansaf involves several components, each requiring specific techniques and timing.
Lamb Preparation: The most crucial step is preparing the lamb, as it requires the longest cooking time. The resulting lamb broth is essential for both the rice and the yogurt sauce. Begin by rinsing the lamb pieces thoroughly in cold water. Place them in a large pot and fully submerge them in water, adding an extra 2 inches. Bring to a boil. As it boils, skim off any residue that surfaces to achieve a clear broth. Introduce cardamom pods, quartered onion, and bay leaves to the broth. Reduce to a simmer and cook for approximately 2 hours, or until the lamb is remarkably tender. Refer to recipe notes for USDA guidelines on safe internal temperature for lamb.
Preparing the Yogurt Sauce: If using traditional jameed balls, crush them and soak them in water overnight to soften. The next day, blend the soaked jameed until smooth. Incorporate plain yogurt, cornstarch, and the reserved lamb broth. The amount of broth can be adjusted to achieve your preferred sauce consistency – start with 2 cups and add more if a thinner sauce is desired. I often use closer to 3 cups. Strain the sauce through a sieve to ensure a lump-free, silky texture. Cook the sauce in a pot over medium heat until it reaches a gentle boil, then add the cooked lamb pieces. Continue to simmer on low heat for another 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. The finished sauce should be tangy, rich, creamy, and smooth, with a consistency thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
Preparing Jameed for Mansaf yogurt sauce: A visual guide showing the process of crushing and soaking jameed balls.
Other Components: Cook the rice according to the type you are using, typically long-grain white rice. As mentioned, Shrak or Markouk bread is traditional and should be torn into small, manageable pieces to form the base. Finally, prepare the garnishes: toasted slivered almonds for a delightful crunch and freshly chopped parsley for a pop of color and freshness.
Assembling Your Mansaf Platter:
You’ll need a large serving platter, approximately 14 inches in diameter. Stainless steel platters from Middle Eastern stores are ideal, but any large platter will work. Begin by layering the shredded bread to cover the base of the platter. Moisten the bread generously with ladles of the warm yogurt sauce. Next, evenly distribute the cooked rice over the bread layer. Carefully remove the lamb pieces from the yogurt sauce and arrange them artfully on top of the rice. Garnish generously with toasted almonds and chopped parsley. Serve the remaining yogurt sauce in a separate bowl, allowing guests to add more to their individual servings as desired.
Assembled Mansaf Platter: A top-down view of the complete dish, showcasing layers of bread, rice, lamb, and garnishes, with a side of yogurt sauce.
The Art of Eating Mansaf: Tradition and Taste
The traditional way to eat Mansaf, especially in Jordanian culture, is with your hands. Often, fresh green onions and radishes are served alongside to provide a refreshing counterpoint to the richness of the dish. In our family, while we appreciate tradition, we typically use utensils to enjoy Mansaf. We also serve it with thinly sliced red onions dressed with fresh lemon juice, which adds a welcome acidity to balance the richness. Radishes and green onions are also served, honoring customary accompaniments. Be forewarned – Mansaf is a hearty meal that may lead to a delightful post-meal nap! It’s known for inducing a satisfying food coma, making every bite utterly worth it!
If you enjoy yogurt-based dishes, you might also like my recipes for Shish Barak (meat dumplings in yogurt) or Zahra Bi’laban (cauliflower yogurt stew with lamb).
Don’t miss the Mansaf video below for a visual guide! For an optimal viewing experience, watch in full-screen mode!
Your Reviews & Ratings are Appreciated!
I’m excited for you to try this authentic and approachable Jordanian Lamb Mansaf recipe! If you decide to make it, please consider leaving a star rating and/or review in the comments section below. I value your feedback! Feel free to ask any questions or leave comments as well. Share your Mansaf creations with me on Instagram!
Close-up of Mansaf Dish: Detailed view showcasing the tender lamb, fluffy rice, and creamy yogurt sauce, inviting viewers to experience this Jordanian delicacy.
5 from 2 votes
Mansaf Recipe
Mansaf is a traditional Jordanian Bedouin dish featuring tender lamb, fluffy rice, and a tangy jameed-yogurt sauce, served over thin Shrak flatbread.
Serves: 8 people
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total time: 3 hours
Ingredients
Lamb Prep
- 7 lbs American Lamb Shoulder, trimmed of excess fat, cut into medium-large pieces, and thoroughly washed (yields approx. 5.5lbs after trimming)
- Water, for submerging lamb
- 4 Cardamom Pods
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 1 Onion, quartered
Yogurt Sauce
- 2 cups Jameed, crushed and soaked (1 jameed ball) or liquid jameed as alternative
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 1/2 cups Plain Yogurt
- 2 cups Lamb Broth (adjust to desired sauce consistency, starting with 2 cups and adding up to 3)
Rice
- 3.5 cups White Rice, soaked and drained
- 1.5 tbsp Olive Oil or Ghee
- Pinch of Turmeric
- Salt, to taste (approx. 1-2 tsp)
- Cooking Liquid (Lamb Broth) – approx. 5-7 cups (refer to rice package instructions)
Other Components
- 1 cup Slivered Almonds, toasted in ghee
- 1 cup Parsley, finely chopped
- 2 Shrak/Markouk Bread, shredded into bite-size pieces
- Green onions and radishes, or sliced red onions with lemon juice, for serving
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse lamb under running water.
- Place lamb in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Skim off any residue that rises to the surface.
- Add onions, cardamom pods, and bay leaves. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 2 hours, or until lamb is tender.
- Remove lamb and set aside.
- Strain lamb broth, reserving the liquid.
- For yogurt sauce, blend crushed jameed and its soaking water until smooth.
- Add cornstarch, plain yogurt, and lamb broth. Blend again. Strain through a sieve into a large pot (reusing the lamb pot is convenient).
- Cook yogurt sauce over low-medium heat for 15-20 min, stirring constantly until it lightly boils. Add lamb pieces back into the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes.
- For rice, add olive oil or ghee to a pot, add rice, and toast for 1-2 minutes. Add lamb broth (5-7 cups, or as per rice instructions), turmeric, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, cover, and cook until rice is done.
- To assemble, use a large platter (approx. 16 inches). Layer shredded bread, soak with yogurt sauce, add rice, and top with lamb pieces. Garnish with almonds and parsley. Serve remaining yogurt sauce separately.
- Serve with sliced red onion and lemon juice, or scallions and radishes. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*USDA recommends lamb reach an internal temperature of 145F with a 3-minute rest.
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