Mansaf Recipe
Mansaf is Jordan’s national dish, traditionally made with tender lamb, rice, thin flatbread, and a tangy jameed yogurt sauce. This version keeps all those comforting flavors but uses fresh yogurt instead of jameed, making it easier to prepare and giving the sauce a milder, creamy flavor.
I first made Mansaf this way because jameed wasn’t available to me, and the result was absolutely delicious. Since I had never tasted traditional Mansaf before, I later ordered the authentic version so I could compare the two. Jameed has a much stronger fermented, salty, and sour flavor, while fresh yogurt creates a gentler sauce that lets the flavor of the lamb and spices come through beautifully.
If you can’t find jameed—or simply prefer a less tangy Mansaf—this recipe gives you a delicious alternative while keeping the heart of the dish: tender lamb, flavorful rice, creamy yogurt sauce, and toasted nuts served together on one generous platter.
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What Is Mansaf?
Mansaf is a traditional Jordanian dish of lamb served with rice, thin flatbread, and a rich yogurt sauce. It is considered the national dish of Jordan and is closely associated with hospitality, family gatherings, celebrations, and special occasions.
Traditional Jordanian Mansaf is made with jameed, a dried and fermented yogurt that gives the sauce its distinctive salty and tangy flavor. The dish is usually assembled on a large platter with shrak or markook bread on the bottom, followed by rice, tender lamb, yogurt sauce, and toasted almonds or pine nuts.
Why You’ll Love This Mansaf Recipe
- Easier than it looks: There are several components, but each one is simple to prepare, and they all come together beautifully at the end.
- No jameed needed: Fresh plain yogurt makes this version accessible even if you can’t find traditional jameed.
- Milder yogurt sauce: The sauce is creamy and tangy without the stronger fermented, salty flavor of jameed.
- Tender, flavorful lamb: The lamb cooks slowly with whole spices until tender, and its broth adds flavor to the yogurt sauce.
- Perfect for sharing: Served on a large platter with rice, flatbread, lamb, yogurt sauce, and toasted nuts, Mansaf is made for gathering around the table.
What Is Jameed?
Jameed is a traditional dried and fermented dairy product made from sheep’s or goat’s milk and is one of the defining ingredients in traditional Jordanian Mansaf.
The yogurt is salted, strained until very thick, shaped into hard balls, and left to dry. This was traditionally a practical way to preserve dairy for long periods without refrigeration.
Before using dried jameed, it is soaked in water and blended until it becomes a smooth sauce. You can also find liquid jameed, sometimes sold as a Mansaf or soup starter, which is much easier to use.
Jameed has a distinctive salty, sour, and fermented flavor that gives traditional Mansaf its characteristic taste.
Fresh Yogurt vs Jameed in Mansaf
Traditional Mansaf gets its distinctive flavor from jameed, but this recipe uses fresh plain yogurt instead.
I originally made it this way because jameed wasn’t available to me. Later, I tried traditional Mansaf made with jameed and found the sauce much more sour and salty than I personally prefer. Fresh yogurt gives this version a milder, creamy sauce while still pairing beautifully with the lamb, rice, and spices.
If you love the characteristic fermented flavor of traditional Mansaf, jameed is the way to go. If you can’t find it or prefer a gentler yogurt flavor, this fresh-yogurt version is a delicious alternative.
Mansaf Ingredients
Mansaf is made in a few parts, but the ingredients themselves are quite simple.
- Lamb: Lamb is the traditional meat used for Mansaf. I use lamb shanks, but bone-in lamb pieces also work well. Cooking the meat with the bone gives the broth more flavor.
- Plain Yogurt: This replaces jameed in my version and creates the creamy yogurt sauce. Use full-fat plain yogurt for the best flavor and texture.
- Cornstarch: Helps stabilize the fresh yogurt sauce and reduces the chance of it separating while cooking.
- Whole Spices: Cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, and bay leaves flavor the lamb and create an aromatic broth.
- Ghee: Used for both the lamb and rice, adding a rich buttery flavor.
- Short-Grain Rice: Traditionally served with Mansaf and cooked with a little turmeric for its beautiful yellow color.
- Shrak or Markook Bread: A very thin Middle Eastern flatbread traditionally placed underneath the rice. If you can’t find it, use another thin flatbread.
- Pine Nuts or Almonds: Toasted or fried nuts add crunch and are the classic finishing touch.
- Fresh Parsley: Adds freshness and color just before serving.
How to Make Mansaf
1. Cook the Lamb
Heat the ghee in a large pot and brown the lamb shanks on both sides. Pour in enough boiling water to cover the lamb by about 3 inches, then add the onion, garlic, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, and salt.
Cook until the lamb is tender, about 1 hour and 40 minutes, adding more boiling water if needed. Remove the lamb and strain the broth. Reserve 1 cup of the lamb broth for the yogurt sauce.
2. Make the Yogurt Sauce
With the heat off, add the plain yogurt, cornstarch, and salt to a large pan and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the reserved lamb broth.
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to gently simmer and becomes smooth and creamy. Add the cooked lamb and simmer over medium-low heat for another 15 minutes.
The finished Mansaf sauce should be smooth and creamy and lightly coat the back of a spoon.
3. Cook the Rice
Heat the ghee in a saucepan, add the drained rice, and stir over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
Add boiling water, turmeric, and salt. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover tightly. Cook for 16 minutes without lifting the lid, then fluff the rice gently.
How to Assemble and Serve Mansaf
Assembling Mansaf is part of what makes the dish so special.
Place shrak or markook bread over a large serving platter and spoon a little of the yogurt sauce over it so the bread absorbs some of the flavor.
Spread the rice over the bread, then arrange the tender lamb on top. Spoon some more yogurt sauce over the lamb and rice, and finish with toasted pine nuts or almonds and chopped parsley.
Serve the remaining yogurt sauce on the side so everyone can add more to their plate. Mansaf is traditionally served on one large platter, making it a wonderful dish for sharing with family and guests.
How to Eat Mansaf
Mansaf is traditionally a communal dish, served on a large platter for everyone to share. It may be eaten by hand, especially on traditional occasions, although using a spoon is perfectly fine at home.
Take some rice, lamb, and yogurt sauce together in each bite, adding extra sauce as you like. Green onions, radishes, and fresh herbs are often served alongside Mansaf and provide a fresh contrast to the rich lamb and creamy sauce.
Tips for the Best Mansaf
- Keep extra yogurt sauce on the side. Trust me, you’ll want more of it with the rice and lamb.
- Cook the lamb until truly tender. It should be easy to pull apart with a fork before adding it to the yogurt sauce.
- Don’t waste the lamb broth. It carries plenty of flavor and is an important part of the yogurt sauce.
- Stir the yogurt sauce frequently. This helps it stay smooth as it heats and prevents it from catching on the bottom of the pan.
- Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer. Avoid aggressively boiling the fresh yogurt sauce.
- Adjust the consistency if needed. The sauce should be creamy and pourable. Add a little more lamb broth if it becomes too thick.
- Assemble just before serving. This lets the bread absorb some sauce without becoming overly soggy.
When Is Mansaf Traditionally Served?
Mansaf has a strong connection to Jordanian hospitality and is often prepared when people gather together. It is commonly served at weddings, holidays, family celebrations, and when welcoming guests.
Because it is assembled on one large platter and can feed a crowd, Mansaf is especially suited to sharing. But you certainly don’t need to wait for a special occasion to make it—a smaller platter makes a wonderful family meal too.
Storing and Reheating Mansaf
Refrigerator: Store the lamb, rice, and yogurt sauce in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If possible, keep the bread separate so it doesn’t become soggy.
Reheating: Reheat the lamb and yogurt sauce gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. If the sauce has thickened in the refrigerator, add a small splash of water or lamb broth until it reaches its creamy consistency again.
Reheat the rice separately, then assemble the Mansaf just before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Mansaf without jameed?
Yes. Traditional Jordanian Mansaf uses jameed, but this recipe uses fresh plain yogurt for a milder, creamier sauce that is also easier to make when jameed isn’t available.
What kind of rice is used for Mansaf?
Short- or medium-grain rice is traditionally used. I add a little turmeric, which gives the rice its beautiful yellow color.
What bread is used for Mansaf?
Shrak or markook is the traditional thin flatbread used as the bottom layer. If you can’t find it, another thin Middle Eastern flatbread can be used.
Why did my yogurt sauce separate?
Whisk the yogurt and cornstarch until completely smooth before heating, stir frequently as it cooks, and keep it at a gentle simmer rather than allowing it to boil aggressively.
Can I make Mansaf ahead of time?
Yes. You can prepare the lamb, rice, and yogurt sauce ahead, but keep them separate and assemble the platter shortly before serving for the best texture.
More Middle Eastern Recipes to Try
Mansaf Recipe with Lamb and Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
For the Yogurt sauce
- 3 lamb shanks or 500gm of lamb with bones
- 3 tablespoon ghee
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- Salt to taste
- Boiling water
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Spices to make lamb stock
- 1 onion cut in quarters
- 1 ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 5 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 large garlic cloves or 3 medium garlic cloves
- 5 whole green cardamom
For the rice
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 1 ¼ short grain rice washed and soaked for 20 minutes
- 2 ½ boiling water
- ¼ teasspoon turmeric powder
To garnish
- Chopped parsley
- Fried pine nuts
Instructions
Making the lamb stock
- In a large pan add 3 tablespoons ghee and when hot, add the lamb shanks and fry until a few brown patches show on both sides.
- Pour boiling water enough to cover the lamb shanks by three inches. Now add the spices, onion, garlic, and salt.
- Let the lamb shank cook for an hour and 40 minutes on medium-to-medium high heat. You may need to add more boiling water while cooking the lamb shanks.
- Remove the lamb shanks from the stock and keep aside. Drain the stock from the spices. Discard the spices and keep one cup from the stock on the side.
Making the Yogurt Sauce
- While the heat is off, and in a large pan, add the yogurt, corn starch and salt. Mix well and pour in one cup of the lamb stock.
- Turn on the heat and cook the sauce on medium heat until it simmers, do not forget to stir often. Now add the cooked lamb shanks and cook on medium or medium low heat for 15 minutes. Make sure to stir to prevent it from burning and creating lumps.
- Turn off the heat and keep aside.
Making the rice
- In a medium pan, add the ghee and when it is hot add the drained rice and stir for two minutes on medium heat.
- Pour the boiling water and add both the turmeric and salt. Mix well and let it come to a boil. When it boils immediately, turn the heat down to the lowest and cover the pan properly, try to prevent the steam from escaping.
- Cook the rice for 16 minutes without ever removing the cover. When the 16 minutes are up, remove the cover and fluff the rice using a spoon or a spatula.
To serve the Mansaf
- On a plate, place a flat bread, unleavened or flour tortilla. Scoop a little from the yogurt sauce and top it with rice and then the lamb shank. Pour a little more from the yogurt sauce on the lamb shank and rice.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and fried or roasted pine nuts.
Notes
- You can use other lamb pieces or even beef, but this dish tastes best with lamb meat.
- I have used plain regular yogurt but if you wish to use Greek yogurt, then add a little more water when making the sauce.
- Pine nuts gives a better flavor but instead you can use toasted almonds.
I love mansaf. The first time I had it, it was served on a large platter placed in the center of the table and we ate directly from the platter. Very communal and it generated a great deal of conversation and since we were eating with our hands, no cell phones. 🙂 It was lovely!
Hi John, I hope you give my recipe a try. Let me know how you liked it. 😊
I love mansaf! In the restaurant where I had it the lamb was in bite sized pieces. Is that an acceptable way to make it?
Yes, and it tastes exactly the same!