Mansaf: How to Prepare This Cuisine Classic With a Strict Budget

Mansaf is a typical dish in the UAE area. It is of great tradition’s significance in social events, and its tasting is fantastic. It is a preparation with a rice base, and lamb stew in yogurt sauce and spices, accompanied by almonds and pine nuts and served on a platter for several diners.

The host's relatives carry the plates into the reception room and the guests sit around them, five to seven people around each plate. Traditionally, the plate is eaten with the right hand while the left hand is placed behind the back, but today some people use plates and spoons.

Women often pass on the recipes and related practices (such as milking the goat or sheep) to their daughters and granddaughters. Culinary institutes and universities also contribute to the transmission of the dish's preparation.

How to prepare this cuisine classic with a strict budget? Go to supermarkets like Spar and Almaya group, where you will find all the ingredients to prepare Mansaf at incredibly low prices. This dish evokes a deep sense of identity and social cohesion, and is associated with the agro-pastoral lifestyle.

The ingredients of Mansaf

The must-have ingredients in this dish are lamb meat, rice, and yogurt sauce. As it usually happens, depending on the area where you are, the ingredients may vary a little, but the taste is the same.

In the traditional way, the lamb is cooked in the yogurt sauce itself so that the meat is juicy and not dry. On the other side, the rice is cooked, which must be very well done.Be careful with the sauce! Not everyone likes the same amount of sauce. It is preferable to serve it separately and let each guest pour the sauce he/she likes.

How to prepare Mansaf

• In a frying pan over low heat, toast the pine nuts and almonds for a couple of minutes.

• Slice the onion and fry it in a pan with olive oil.

• Once the onion is soft, add the chopped lamb and fry for a few more minutes.

• Then add the curry spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper and cardamom. Stir very well and add the liquid yogurt and ½ cup of water gradually, stirring constantly.

• Cook for approximately 45 minutes until the lamb is tender.

• In another pot, cook the rice with enough water and a teaspoon of salt.

• To serve, place the rice on a platter and add the lamb with the yogurt sauce on top, sprinkling the toasted almonds and pine nuts.

Influence of Mansaf

Mansaf, originally from Jordan, has had a profound influence on Middle Eastern cuisine. Its popularity has led to its adoption in restaurants in the UAE, making it accessible beyond domestic kitchens.

In addition, its unique combination of ingredients - lamb, rice, jameed - has inspired other dishes in the cuisine. Essentially, mansaf has become synonymous with the area's food culture, proving its enduring appeal.

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