World Flavors Cookbook

Mansaf

Jordan's national dish — tender lamb cooked in fermented dried yogurt (jameed), served over a bed of aromatic rice with toasted almonds and pine nuts.

Cuisine: Iraq

Ingredients

• 1kg lamb shoulder, bone-in
• 3 balls jameed (dried yogurt)
• 3 cups basmati rice
• 3 onions, quartered
• Cardamom pods, bay leaves, allspice
• 100g toasted almonds and pine nuts
• 3 tbsp ghee
• Markook flatbread
• Salt, turmeric

Instructions

1. Dissolve jameed in warm water over low heat, stirring continuously.
2. Boil lamb with onions and spices until very tender, about 1.5 hours.
3. Strain jameed sauce and add to lamb broth. Simmer together 30 minutes.
4. Cook rice with turmeric and some lamb broth.
5. Layer: flatbread on bottom, rice, then lamb. Pour jameed sauce over everything.
6. Top with toasted nuts. Traditionally eaten with the right hand.