Peas and Rice Mansaf

Peas and Rice Mansaf

This is a Levantine-style rice and peas dish, presented as a feast platter: some of the peas are blanched for freezing, then the peas are lightly sautéed in a pot with a little oil and a little clarified butter or ghee. Add 3½ cups of long-grain rice, 1 carrot, salt, white pepper, and 4 cups of meat stock. Leave the rice to cook over low heat, then serve it on a platter topped with meat, peas, toasted almonds, and a sprinkle of pepper, accompanied by yogurt with cucumber. The chef does not recommend preserving the peas with rock salt or drying them for this dish, and prefers freezing them after blanching and cooling.

A rice dish with peas, prepared in a mansaf-style presentation.

Like peas and rice served as a hearty main dish.

Keep the peas tender and mix them gently with the rice so they stay intact.

Ingredients

  • 1½ liters Boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Sugar
  • a little Vegetable oil
  • a little Clarified butter (or ghee)
  • 3½ cups Long-grain rice
  • 1 tablespoon Salt
  • ¼ tablespoon White pepper
  • 4 cups Meat stock (or any stock available to you)
  • for the top Toasted almonds
  • for the top A sprinkle of pepper
  • for yogurt and cucumber salad Yogurt
  • for yogurt and cucumber salad Cucumber
  • for yogurt and cucumber salad Mint
  • for yogurt and cucumber salad Garlic
  • a little Oil with ghee or butter

Instructions

  1. In a pot over the heat, bring 1½ liters of water intended for freezing the peas to a boil.
  2. In the pot over the heat, add the peas to the boiling water to blanch them only, without prolonged cooking.
  3. In the pot over the heat, remove the peas when their intense green color just begins to change slightly, avoiding overcooking.
  4. In a colander under cold water or in a bowl of ice water, cool the peas immediately to stop the cooking process.
  5. Place the peas in a freezer bag once they have cooled and drained well.
  6. In the freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, then seal the bag tightly.
  7. Store the bag of frozen peas in the freezer.
  8. In a cooking pot over the heat, add a little clarified butter or ghee with a little vegetable oil.
  9. In the pot over the heat, add the peas and lightly sauté them only to flavor the fat.
  10. In the pot over the heat, set aside a portion of the peas to use as a topping.
  11. In the pot over the heat, add 3½ cups of long-grain rice over the peas.
  12. In the pot over the heat, lightly sauté the rice with the peas.
  13. In the pot over the heat, add 1 carrot to the rice and peas mixture.
  14. In the pot over the heat, add 1 tablespoon of salt to the rice, peas, and carrot, noting that the stock may be salty.
  15. In the pot over the heat, add ¼ tablespoon of white pepper so the dish does not change color.
  16. In the pot over the heat, add 4 cups of meat stock or any available stock to the rice mixture.
  17. In the pot over the heat, leave the pot uncovered until the rice appears at the surface.
  18. In the pot over low heat, reduce the heat to its lowest setting, then cover the pot tightly and leave the rice until cooked.
  19. On a serving platter, spoon out the peas and rice once cooked.
  20. On top of the serving platter, place the meat over the rice.
  21. On top of the serving platter, place the peas reserved for topping over the rice.
  22. On top of the serving platter, scatter the toasted almonds over the dish.
  23. On top of the serving platter, add a sprinkle of pepper at the end.
  24. In a side serving bowl, prepare yogurt with cucumber from yogurt, cucumber, mint, and garlic, and serve it with the dish.

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