MOON SCARAB | RECIPE: ASH-E ANAR (PERSIAN POMEGRANATE MEATBALL SPLIT PEA SOUP)- VEGETARIAN @moonscarab | Uploaded October 2023 | Updated October 2024, 12 hours ago.
Ash-e Anar (Persian Pomegranate Soup with Meatballs)
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Persian
Ingredients
For the soup:
2-4 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 t turmeric
2 1/2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 cups yellow split peas
8 cups vegetable stock (low sodium if commercial)
2/3 cup pomegranate molasses
For the meatballs:
1 yellow small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs ground beef or lamb
1/4 cup (scant) finely chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup (scant) finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup (scant) finely chopped fresh spearmint (or 2 T dried mint)
2 t sea salt
For garnish:
pomegranate seeds (count on at least 1 pomegranate, preferably 2)
1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
chopped parsley and cilantro (I had extra from measuring out for the meatballs)
Instructions
1- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally and let caramelize.
2- When they are golden brown, add the garlic. Also keep a cup of water by the cooktop to splash into the pan if the onions start to scorch or stick.
3-After about 15 minutes, when the onions have caramelized brown, add the turmeric and cumin. Stir, and let cook for 30-60 seconds. Then add the split peas and stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Let the soup simmer for 1 hour.
4- While the soup is simmering, make the meatballs. Stir together all of the ingredients--use your hands toward the end to work the ingredients into the ground meat, but do not overwork the mixture.
Use wet hands to form walnut-sized balls of the mixture.
Place the meatballs in a large nonstick or seasoned cast iron skillet (do in 2 batches if necessary to avoid steaming the meatballs) on medium high heat. Brown the meatballs on one side and then remove.
5- When the soup has been simmering for an hour, stir in the pomegranate molasses. Then carefully add the meatballs. Bring back to a simmer and then cover again and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
6-Taste for additional salt or pepper.
7-Serve with yogurt, fresh chopped cilantro and parsley, and fresh pomegranate seeds.
Where to get commercially made pomegranate molasses?
Cortas - Pomegranate Concentrated...
amazon.com/dp/B000LRKOJO?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
HOW TO MAKE POMEGRANATE MOLASSES
This recipe yields about 1 1/4 cups of pomegranate molasses.
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Ingredients
4 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice, about one large lemon
Instructions
1- Boil the pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat. When the juice boils, reduce the heat to a medium-low. You should see the liquid boiling very gently in the middle.
2- Let the mixture simmer for about an hour, uncovered. Stir occasionally to make sure that the sugars don't stick to the bottom of the saucepan.
3-After 45 minutes of simmering, you'll notice that a lot of liquid has burned off. Reduce the heat very slightly and let it simmer for another 15 minutes or so. Take a spoon and dip it into the molasses. If it coats the spoon, the molasses is done cooking (see photo in blog post for a visual).
4- Turn off the heat and let it cool for 30 minutes before pouring it into a jar. The mixture will still be runny, but don't worry. The molasses thickens as it cools.
5- This recipe should yield about 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses. Store the molasses in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Video: PERSONAL MAGICAL PRACTICE WITH POMEGRANATES
youtu.be/5FtBvdN8er0
Ash-e Anar (Persian Pomegranate Soup with Meatballs)
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Persian
Ingredients
For the soup:
2-4 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 t turmeric
2 1/2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 cups yellow split peas
8 cups vegetable stock (low sodium if commercial)
2/3 cup pomegranate molasses
For the meatballs:
1 yellow small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs ground beef or lamb
1/4 cup (scant) finely chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup (scant) finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup (scant) finely chopped fresh spearmint (or 2 T dried mint)
2 t sea salt
For garnish:
pomegranate seeds (count on at least 1 pomegranate, preferably 2)
1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
chopped parsley and cilantro (I had extra from measuring out for the meatballs)
Instructions
1- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally and let caramelize.
2- When they are golden brown, add the garlic. Also keep a cup of water by the cooktop to splash into the pan if the onions start to scorch or stick.
3-After about 15 minutes, when the onions have caramelized brown, add the turmeric and cumin. Stir, and let cook for 30-60 seconds. Then add the split peas and stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Let the soup simmer for 1 hour.
4- While the soup is simmering, make the meatballs. Stir together all of the ingredients--use your hands toward the end to work the ingredients into the ground meat, but do not overwork the mixture.
Use wet hands to form walnut-sized balls of the mixture.
Place the meatballs in a large nonstick or seasoned cast iron skillet (do in 2 batches if necessary to avoid steaming the meatballs) on medium high heat. Brown the meatballs on one side and then remove.
5- When the soup has been simmering for an hour, stir in the pomegranate molasses. Then carefully add the meatballs. Bring back to a simmer and then cover again and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
6-Taste for additional salt or pepper.
7-Serve with yogurt, fresh chopped cilantro and parsley, and fresh pomegranate seeds.
Where to get commercially made pomegranate molasses?
Cortas - Pomegranate Concentrated...
amazon.com/dp/B000LRKOJO?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
HOW TO MAKE POMEGRANATE MOLASSES
This recipe yields about 1 1/4 cups of pomegranate molasses.
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Ingredients
4 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice, about one large lemon
Instructions
1- Boil the pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat. When the juice boils, reduce the heat to a medium-low. You should see the liquid boiling very gently in the middle.
2- Let the mixture simmer for about an hour, uncovered. Stir occasionally to make sure that the sugars don't stick to the bottom of the saucepan.
3-After 45 minutes of simmering, you'll notice that a lot of liquid has burned off. Reduce the heat very slightly and let it simmer for another 15 minutes or so. Take a spoon and dip it into the molasses. If it coats the spoon, the molasses is done cooking (see photo in blog post for a visual).
4- Turn off the heat and let it cool for 30 minutes before pouring it into a jar. The mixture will still be runny, but don't worry. The molasses thickens as it cools.
5- This recipe should yield about 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses. Store the molasses in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Video: PERSONAL MAGICAL PRACTICE WITH POMEGRANATES
youtu.be/5FtBvdN8er0
