Jordanian Mansaf in Leben Sauce with Cinnamon and Garlic

👨‍🍳 Method

To assemble

1. 1
   Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveLarge pot
2. 2
   Add the onion and fry 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 3
   Add the garlic and fry 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.
4. 4
   Add the cumin, turmeric and cinnamon and fry 1 minute.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
5. 5
   Add the meat and brown on all sides.

   Stove
6. 6
   Add the water, season with salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer 1½ hours, until the meat is tender.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
7. 7
   Meanwhile, mix the yogurt in another pot and heat over low heat, stirring.

   StovePot
8. 8
   Remove the meat from the pot. Add cup of the cooking liquid to the yogurt sauce and cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

   Slotted spoonStove
9. 9
   Add the rice to the stock in the pot, bring to a boil and stir once.

   Stove
10. 10
    Turn down to low, cover and simmer 18 minutes without opening the lid, until the liquid is absorbed.

    ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid
11. 11
    Turn off the heat and leave covered 5–10 minutes.

    💡Don't open the lid during cooking: the steam is what cooks the top layer. A towel between the pot and the lid absorbs the drips, so the rice doesn't get soggy.
12. 12
    Spread the rice on a large serving platter, lay the meat on top and pour the yogurt sauce over it.

    Serving platter
13. 13
    Sprinkle the parsley on top.