How to Make Lamb Mansaf

Ingredients

• 2 kg pieces of lamb or beef, cut into chunks
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• A few coriander leaves or chopped parsley (optional)
• 1 celery stalk, chopped (optional)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or any cooking fat
• 2 cups long-grain rice, washed and soaked for 2 hours
• 200 g ground/minced meat
• Special mansaf spices:
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 4 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• Water for boiling the meat
• Nuts for garnish
• Parsley (optional)
• Lemon slices (optional)
• Lamb Mansaf recipe from a chef and friend of the Sho Tabkhin Al-Youm website:
• Umm Taha Al-Hamawi
• Click the name Umm Taha to visit her page on our site and enjoy her recipes.
• To read Umm Taha Al-Hamawi’s easy spinach omelette recipe, click this link:
• Delicious, Easy Spinach Omelette
• To make Umm Taha’s chocolate cookies, click Chocolate Cookies
• For more desserts from Umm Taha’s page on our site, here is the link: Ma'amoul Tart

Method

1. In a pot over the heat add the oil, onion, and all the spices and sauté until the onion softens slightly
2. Add the garlic and sauté, then add the ginger and cook until fragrant, and finally add the tomatoes and stir for about 5 minutes
3. Place the pieces of meat on top and brown the mixture, then add water and salt, cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the meat pieces are tender
4. Let the mixture cool slightly, then remove the meat pieces and strain the liquid; leave them at room temperature and refrigerate to allow the fat to congeal on the surface of the meat broth
5. Rinse the meat pieces to remove the spices, then cut them and set aside
6. In a pan fry any kind of nuts, then drain them and reserve their oil; put that oil in a pot to sauté the minced meat
7. Then add a little black pepper and stir, then add the rice that has been drained of water
8. Add 4 and a half cups of meat broth and add salt, keeping in mind the broth already contains salt
9. We have two options: either place the meat pieces inside the rice, or add them when serving, or do both
10. Cover and let them boil for about 3 minutes over high heat, then reduce the heat until the rice grains are cooked, and transfer the lamb mansaf to the serving platter
11. Top with the meat pieces, the nuts, parsley, and slices of lemon