Dar'a Style Mlihhi

Ingredients

• 2 kg bone-in lamb
• 1 kg bulgur
• 1.5 sour yogurt
• half a kg liquid jameed
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt for the yogurt and jameed
• 2 tbsp ghee for toasting the bulgur
• 1.5 tsp salt for the bulgur
• 4 bay leaves
• 10 pods cardamom
• 5 cloves cloves
• 3 dried limes
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 large onion
• 1 lemon peel
• 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 10 kibbeh discs, for topping
• 4 tbsp Arabic ghee, for topping
• approximately four to five liters of water water for boiling the meat
• 1 spoonful cornstarch
• 1 glass of water, 200 ml water for mixing the cornstarch

Instructions

1. In a large pot over the heat, place 1 large onion whole with the bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, dried limes, lemon peel, whole peppercorns, and ghee.
2. In the large pot over the heat, lightly toast the meat-boiling spices with the ghee until fragrant.
3. In a pot or kettle over the heat, heat the boiling water until it comes to a rolling boil.
4. In the large pot over the heat, add the bone-in lamb over the toasted spices.
5. In the large pot over the heat, first gradually add some of the hot water to loosen anything stuck to the bottom of the pot.
6. In the large pot over the heat, add the remaining hot water over the meat.
7. In the large pot over the heat, skim off the scum with a ladle, not a strainer.
8. In the large pot over the heat, cover the meat, reduce the heat to very low, and leave until cooked through.
9. In a frying pan or pot over the heat, melt the 2 tablespoons of ghee reserved for the bulgur.
10. In the frying pan or pot over the heat, add the washed bulgur to the ghee and toast it lightly.
11. In the pot containing the bulgur over the heat, add only the meat broth to the bulgur.
12. In the pot containing the bulgur over the heat, salt the bulgur, then lower the heat, cover the pot, and leave the bulgur until cooked.
13. In a blender bowl, place the sour yogurt with the liquid jameed.
14. In a cup or small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the water.
15. In the blender bowl, add the cornstarch-and-water mixture to the yogurt and jameed when using yogurt and jameed together.
16. In the blender bowl, add salt to the yogurt-and-jameed mixture, taking the saltiness of the jameed into account.
17. In the blender bowl, blend the yogurt, jameed, cornstarch, water, and salt until the mixture is smooth.
18. In a pot over the heat, pour in the yogurt-and-jameed mixture.
19. In the pot over the heat, stir the yogurt-and-jameed mixture continuously until it boils.
20. In the pot over the heat, add a little meat broth to the yogurt-and-jameed mixture, according to the desired consistency, to thin it.
21. In the pot over the heat, add the turmeric to the yogurt-and-jameed mixture for color.
22. In the yogurt pot over the heat, add the boiled pieces of meat to the yogurt and jameed.
23. In the yogurt pot over the heat, leave the meat with the yogurt and jameed over low heat for approximately 15 minutes so it absorbs the flavors.
24. In a frying pan over the heat, fry the kibbeh discs.
25. In a wide pot or bowl, knead the hot bulgur after it is cooked.
26. In the wide pot or bowl, take a little of the yogurt and jameed from the meat pot and add it over the bulgur while kneading.
27. On the serving platter, spread a layer of bulgur as the base for the mansaf.
28. On the serving platter, arrange the pieces of meat over the bulgur.
29. On the serving platter, distribute the yogurt and jameed over the mansaf.
30. On the serving platter, arrange the kibbeh discs around the top.
31. On the serving platter, pour the Arabic ghee over the top before serving.
32. Serve the mansaf hot.