'M' is for Mansaf. A to Z Challenge Day 13.

Mansaf (Arabic: منسف‎) is a traditional Jordanian dish and Palestinian dish made of lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt and served with rice or bulgur. (I got that off wikipedia)

That said, in college we had a lot of Palestinian friends. They exposed me to a whole new world, specially when it came to food. I learnt to cook meat with okra or beans. There was also a lovely chicken pulao cooked with aubergines and cauliflower. But the one I love the most is Mansaf. This dish is one of the few things I will eat at anytime. In fact the joke in our house goes that if anyone wakes me in the middle of the night and hands me a plate of mansaf and rice I will quietly eat it and go back to sleep without getting angry! 
Getting back to college, obviously we could not get all the ingredients like Tahina and stuff so we made our own version. Here it is: 

Ingredients: 

1. Mutton or boneless beef: 1 kg
2. Plain yoghurt/curd: 750 gms
3. Onions: 2 medium sized
4. Garlic: 12 large pods
5. Eggs : 2
6. Almonds: about 20.(optional)
7. Salt to taste
8. Butter 1 tsp

Method: 

1. Wash and clean mutton. Chop onion and two pods of garlic and boil with mutton and two cups of water and some salt. i use a pressure cooker. the mutton/beef should be tender when it is done. 
2. Coarsely chop the remaining garlic and fry in the butter till nicely browned (but not burnt) and keep aside. 
3. Put the almonds in a cup of water and run it in the microwave for a minute. Wash in cold water. The skin will peel off easily. Chop the almonds into slivers and keep aside.
4. When the mutton broth has cooled, take out the meat pieces with a slotted spoon and place in another pan. 
5. Pour half the broth, half the curd and one egg in a blender and blend till smooth. Do not over do it, I usually blend for about 15 seconds on the highest setting. Pour into pan with the meat pieces. Repeat with the remaining broth, egg and curd.
6. Put the pan containing the meat and the blended broth on the stove and gently heat it stirring constantly. Do not let it boil over but let it come to a quiet boil so the gravy cooks nicely. add the slivers of almond. Check salt. It should be tangy and smooth.
7. Add the butter fried garlic over the gravy.
8. Serve hot with plain boiled rice. 

Nom. Nom. I'm hungry already!