Cardamom is commonly used to flavor mansaf.
Mansaf is the national dish of Jordan. It usually consists of lamb and a sauce made from dry fermented yogurt called jameed. Mansaf is usually served over a layer of rice or a mixture of various husked grains called semolina. This combination is traditionally served on top of a thin slice of flatbread. It is often presented on large plates as the centerpiece of special occasions such as weddings, engagements, Christmas, and Jordan’s Independence Day.
The dish was created thousands of years ago and was inspired by the ready availability of yogurt and lamb. It should be a community meal, with several people around the plate to eat. Instead of utensils, the right hand is traditionally used to pick up food, while the left hand is placed behind the back.
Preparing mansaf is a time-consuming process and is approached very carefully. It usually starts with the processing of jameed. This dry Arabic yoghurt is soaked for an hour, kneaded and then dried again. It is then combined with water and spices to make a cooking broth.
Before cooking, the lamb is cut into pieces. It is then boiled in the yogurt broth, which is stirred periodically to keep the texture of the sauce consistent. In addition to the sauce, lamb is traditionally prepared with a variety of herbs and spices such as cinnamon and cardamom. Often this preparation is cooked over an open fire in a hanging pan.
Mansaf is served in large plates. The first layer of the dish is a large, thin piece of flatbread, usually shrak or markook, both styles of bread common in the Middle East. It can be covered with yogurt first. The bread is then covered with a pile of rice cooked in oil.
The cooked lamb pieces are spread over the rice. It is then covered with a yogurt sauce made from the cooking broth. Typical garnishes for the dish include pine nuts and almonds.
There are other types of Mansaf, including varieties with different types of meat, seasonings, and preparation methods. Chicken is another popular meat used in the dish and fish is commonly used in areas close to the sea, such as the West Bank port city of Aqaba. Mansaf has also been adapted for daily cooking with a normal yogurt sauce that does not require as much work and preparation time.