🍽️ Cuisine
Jordanian cuisine is Levantine at heart—mansaf is the national treasure, served with generous hospitality.
Mansaf
National Dish
Lamb cooked in fermented yogurt sauce, served on rice—Bedouin celebration dish.
Ingredients: 500g lamb (bone-in), Jameed (fermented dried yogurt) or thick yogurt, 480ml rice, Ghee, Almonds, pine nuts, Flatbread (shrak).
Preparation: Rehydrate jameed, blend smooth. Cook lamb until very tender. Add jameed sauce, simmer gently. Then cook rice with broth. Layer: bread, rice, meat, sauce. To finish, top with nuts fried in ghee.
💡 Traditionally eaten with right hand—form rice balls to scoop.
Falafel
Chickpea Fritters
Crispy fried chickpea balls—Amman street food staple.
Ingredients: 480ml dried chickpeas, 1 onion, Garlic, parsley, cilantro, Cumin, coriander, Baking powder, Oil for frying.
Preparation: Soak chickpeas overnight. Then grind with herbs and spices. Add baking powder, rest 1 hour. Form balls. Then deep fry until deep golden. To finish, serve in pita with pickles and tahini.
💡 Never use canned chickpeas—texture will be wrong.
Maqluba
Upside-Down Rice
Layered rice, vegetables, and meat flipped for presentation.
Ingredients: 240ml rice, 300g chicken or lamb, 1 eggplant, fried, 1 cauliflower, fried, Onion, tomato, Baharat spices.
Preparation: Fry eggplant and cauliflower slices. Brown meat with onions and spices. Layer in pot: meat, vegetables, rice. Then add broth, cook until rice done. Flip onto large platter. Finally, serve with yogurt and salad.
💡 The flip is dramatic—practice with confidence!
