Mansaf

Mansaf is Jordan’s national dish, a grand platter of lamb simmered in jameed, a dried yogurt that gives the sauce its signature tang. It is served at weddings, graduations, and family feasts, when a single enormous tray is set in the middle of the table and everyone eats from the same side by hand. To be invited to mansaf is to be treated like family.

A feast that gathers everyone around one platter

The lamb cooks low and slow until it falls apart at the touch of a fork, while the sauce turns silky, rich, and pleasantly sour. Fragrant rice, toasted almonds and pine nuts, and a shower of parsley crown the platter, and flatbread underneath soaks up every drop. Jordanians eat it with the right hand, rolling rice and meat into neat bites, a ritual that is part of the joy of the meal. Serve it on a large tray with yogurt on the side, and let everyone gather close — that is the whole point.

Craving more? Explore all Jordanian Kitchen recipes.

Perfect rice is the foundation here — our How to Cook Perfect Rice Every Time covers ratios, rinsing, and resting. Stocking a Middle Eastern pantry? Our guide to 20 essential Middle Eastern pantry ingredients covers everything this dish uses.

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