Mansaf

منسف · Mansaf

Ingredients11

• bone-in lamb shoulder1.5 kg
• jameed400 g
• long-grain rice500 g
• onions2
• ghee80 g
• shrak or markook flatbread4
• blanched almonds80 g
• pine nuts40 g
• bay leaves2
• ground turmeric1 tsp
• salt2 tsp

Method

1. Soak the jameed in warm water until it softens, then whisk it into a smooth yogurt sauce.
2. Cover the lamb with cold water, add one onion, the bay leaves, and salt, and simmer until the meat is tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
3. Lift out the lamb. Strain the broth, then simmer the jameed sauce with turmeric and some of the broth until it thickens slightly.
4. Return the lamb to the sauce and cook gently until the meat is very tender and the sauce is creamy.
5. Cook the rice in the remaining lamb broth until fluffy, then fold in a little melted ghee.
6. Fry the almonds and pine nuts in ghee until golden.
7. Line a large platter with the flatbread, mound the rice over it, arrange the lamb on top, and pour the jameed sauce over everything.
8. Scatter the fried nuts on top and serve immediately, traditionally eaten by hand from the shared platter.