Ash-e Anar (Persian pomegranate soup)

Ingredients

  • 250 grams Basmati rice

  • 500 grams of minced veal

  • 125 grams of yellow split peas

  • Two onions, finely chopped

  • Three garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • One reasonable bunch of parsley, one bunch of spring (green part). both finely chopped

  • Two tablespoons finely chopped mint

  • One tablespoon finely chopped tarragon

  • 200 ml pomegranate molasses or 120 ml pomegranate juice concentrate with a little sugar to taste.

  • One tablespoon of turmeric

  • Salt and pepper

  • Oil

  • To garnish: a little mint and pomegranate seeds

preparation

take a medium Saucepan and boil the yellow split peas in 500 ml water. Skim of the the foam with a slotted spoon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside. Fry the onion and then the garlic in a generous amount of oil. Stir in half a teaspoon of turmeric. Add the rice, the yellow split peas and two liters of water to the garlic-onion mixture in a large saucepan. Boil with some table salt and let it simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat. Stir regularly. In the meantime, mix the meat with two-three tablespoons of the spring onion and parsley and the tarragon. Season with salt and pepper. Make small balls the size of a ping pong ball. Fry the meatballs, the pomegranate molasses, the rest of the spring onion and parsley, salt and pepper with rice and split peas. Let it simmer for another 30-40 minutes on low to medium heat. Serve the soup in a bowl. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, pomegranate molasses and a little mint.

Enjoy your meal!