Eid Means Lamb Mansaf

by Noor H. Salem

The blessed days of Dhul Hijjah just came to an end, as Eid Al-Adha was celebrated internationally. You may now have an excess amount of lamb in the freezer due to sheep slaughtering on Eid.

There’s no better way to use that lamb than to make homemade mansaf, a popular Palestinian dish that will make any taste bud jump with joy. Authentic mansaf is made using jmeed, a dried yogurt extremely high in fat and sodium. This mansaf recipe is slightly twisted from the original version. Using organic plain yogurt along with the jmeed will still give a delicious taste to mansaf, while making it a lighter yogurt lower in sodium and saturated fat.

Clearly, the star of the dish is the lamb, cooked to perfection and tenderness and bursting with the flavor of a unique combination of spices. When making your Eid sacrifice, put an effort in searching for a local farmer that raises them sustainably, and does not bulk them with corn or grain feed. Grass-fed lamb is very high in omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and Vitamin B12 which are all linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Grass-fed lamb has a lot more nutrient quality than conventionally fed lamb. In fact, it has 25% more omega-3 fatty acids.

Yes, the diet of the livestock you consume can greatly impact the percentage of vitamins and minerals in the meat on your plate. The bone broth in this recipe is reserved and then added to the yogurt, incredibly boosting the flavor and nutritional value alike. While it’s underappreciated, bone broth is full of minerals essential for your body. Of the many benefits, it aids in relieving arthritis pain, indigestion, leaky gut, and it strengthens your immune system. It is also a wonderful remedy for the common cold or flu.

Grandma had it right with chicken noodle soup, which consists mainly of homemade bone broth. A client previously asked if bone broth had to be made using the bones. Do note, the key minerals and vitamins come from the bones.

The original bone broth isn’t made in a pressure cooker, but the good news is that you save time and don’t deplete your food of nutrients by using one. It is in fact incredibly convenient, especially for a time-consuming dish like mansaf. The parsley atop mansaf is more than just garnish; it’s full of Vitamin K, iron, folate, fiber, and Vitamin C. The almonds and pine nuts increase your intake of healthy fats while adding protein, a perfect crunch, and a look pleasing to the eye.

Try this mouthwatering mansaf recipe to use up your Eid lamb, and you’ll look forward to Eid Al Adha every year.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups organic plain yogurt
• ½ jmeed ball (dried yogurt)
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (certified organic and non-GMO)
• 2 tablespoons turmeric, ground
• 3 tablespoons Himalayan Pink Salt
• 3 cups basmati rice, soaked
• 10 pounds organic grass-fed lamb chunks, pressure cooked (10 cloves, 4 bay leaves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 tablespoon Himalayan Pink Salt, 7 cardamom pods, and 4 black peppercorns)
• 10 layers ishraq bread, torn with hands into large chunks
  (Ishraq bread is a very thin bread made of whole wheat flour. You can replace it with any bread of your convenience)
• 3 bunches organic fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 cup of raw blanched slivered almonds and raw pine nuts (roasted in a skillet with organic cold-pressed avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil)

Directions:

1. In a pressure cooker, cook lamb, seven cups water, and spices for about 45 minutes. Strain; reserve the broth.
2. Place yogurt, cornstarch, water and salt in your blender. Pulse into very smooth.
3. Put the yogurt in a large pot, add turmeric; whisk. Cook on high and whisk without stopping until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat; add about half the lamb broth and some meat chunks. Stir; set aside.
4. Cook the rice in about six cups water with one teaspoon salt on high-heat for 10-15 minutes or until rice begins to show above the water. Place on low heat. Leave covered for about 5-10 minutes. Remove; set aside.
5. Place the bread in a large flat serving platter and soak evenly with cooked yogurt. Put a layer of rice on top. Top the rice with additional yogurt. Top with the lamb chunks; garnish with parsley and roasted nuts. Serve immediately for optimum taste! Enjoy.

Noor H. Salem is an author, speaker, and Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, from Michigan. Noor works with clients in better understanding their bodies and healing with natural foods through her wellness practice, Holistic Noortrition. She presents various workshops, school lectures, group coaching classes, and community lectures on the topic of holistic health. Noor recently published her book, SUNNAH SUPERFOODS, a culmination of life-changing recipes and remedies, with a foreword by Dr. Waleed Basyouni. Her book consists of prophetic hadith, modern research, and delicious recipes, and is in the process of being translated into other languages.