Saturday, January 10, 2015

743. Mansaf


This month's  MENA Cooking Club challenge is Jordan, hosted by Cheap Ethnic Eatz.. Previous months include: Algeria, Bahrain, Djiboui, Egypt, and Iraq. Jordan is a neighbor bordering Iraq, and while it is true that the Iraqi influence is obvious especially in the capital Amman, it is Palestine that has the final say in ruling Jordan, as a good half of its citizens are in fact Palestinian, including their queen (and coincidentally their national dish, the Mansaf).
You can find mansaf served everywhere in Jerusalem. I would warrant that if the Jordanian government weren't so buddy-buddy with the Palestinian occupation, mansaf today would widely be known as Israeli mansaf instead of Jordanian. What makes mansaf (منسف) special is the jameed (جميد) used in it. Jameed are rocks of dried fermented yogurt. Other than the jameed, ingredients are as simple as lamb, rice, and bread, with a generous garnish or fried nuts.
The biggest problem you might have in making this dish is finding the jameed. Do not forget to plan ahead and soak the crumbled jameed for 24 hours (a whole day, not just overnight!).


Ingredients:

500g jameed rock
500g large lamb chunks on bone
2 cups short-grain rice, cooked a little sticky
1 bag lavash flatbread, or any similar wrap bread
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup toasted almonds


Method:

Break up the jameed rock into small chunks and cover with cold water, one to two inches above chunks. Let soak for 24 hours. Every now and then, give it a stir, breaking up any chunks.
Pour mixture into blender, puree until smooth and thick. Strain through coarse sieve.
*Make sure there aren't any really hard pieces remaining before you puree, or you will break your blender.
Also, in a large pot cover meat with cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer about half way, 1/2 hour or so because it will continue to cook when you add it to jameed sauce.
Skim any impurities that rise to the top.
In another pot, pour jameed mixture, 2 cups water, and 2 cups lamb broth.
Bring to a boil and add parboiled lamb chunks. Simmer on medium-low for another 1/2 hour to 1 hour, until meat is super tender and falling apart.
Meanwhile, start cooking rice.
The sauce should be soupy, some like it thicker, some thinner.
When sauce and rice are ready, lay out flatbread all over a serving platter.
Spoon rice in a mound over all of the bread, spreading so it's slightly higher in the center.
Scoop out the cooked lamb and layer it over the rice.
Some people pour the sauce over the whole thing and eat it Bedouin-style, but you can also keep the sauce on a side and ladle it over individual servings.
Sprinkle toasted pine nuts and almonds all over the top.


 صحة و عافية


18 comments:

Unknown said...

Assalaamu alaykum Maryam, this dish looks very intriguing i was contemplating making it but knew it would be difficult finding the jaeed. Look forward to seeing what dish you cook up for next months MENA.

Maryam said...

Wa alaikum al Salam Umm Hamza, I finally found the jameed two days ago and made the mansaf yesterday! If you do find it, maybe it's better to buy in bulk to have it on hand. Thanks for your comment!

Carrie said...

Nice! I have never heard of jameed, so thanks for the introduction to an interesting ingredient. Your dish looks fantastic!

Maryam said...

Thanks Carrie! I would love a bowl of your soup right now (so spicy and cozy)...

Noor said...

I love to see all your traditional recipes like this one. Mansaf is not the same unless you use jameed. You have such an amazing space here, I hope you know that.

Maryam said...

That means so much coming from you, Noor. I'm in admiration not only of your blog but of your life journey and wish there were more people like you. The world would be a better place.

cookbakeandenjoy said...

very interesting dish and interesting new ingredient, its always so much fun to learn new things!!

Maryam said...

For sure, it is one of the reasons I love this Club!

Rafeeda AR said...

This looks like an interesting dish... a little complicated but delicious...

Sneha's Recipe said...

Loved this recipe I too wanted to try but could not find Jameed even in Qatar. Request my friend to see if this is available there, even phyllo shreds was not available. Would love to taste this Mansaf.

Maryam said...

Once you get your hands on the jameed, it's all smooth sailing from there.

Maryam said...

Yes, it took me 3 weeks to find it! I finally got it from a tiny Lebanese outlet. Shredded phyllo is commonly found in the freezer section of most grocery stores. If you have any Lebanese outlets nearby, they might be able to put in an order for you!

Sadaf F K. said...

Totally impressive dish! and you make it even more delicious. Great job! :)

Maryam said...

That's so kind of you, jazak Allah khair.

Evelyne CulturEatz said...

Ah the only one who chose the mansaf, it looks just awesome and tasty. Thanks for participating!

Abida said...

This blogpost has got my mouth watering! I have been wanting to try and make mansaf for so long but had no idea where to get my hands on the jameed. I think it something I will have to hunt down in London.

Maryam said...

Thanks for the challenge! I've been wanting to make mansaf since a long time and this was my chance to put procrastination aside.

Maryam said...

Be warned mansaf may be an acquired taste: the dried fermented yogurt could be pungent and not go down so well with first-timers. Incredibly healthy, though! Best of luck in finding the Jameed.