Ash-e Anar

Method

1. Rinse 25 g of yellow split peas and leave them to soak in plenty of cold water for 30 minutes, then drain. Rinse 25 g of short-grain rice under cold water until it runs clear and set aside.
2. Grate 30 g of the onion and squeeze out its juice, then knead it into 75 g of minced lamb with a good pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper for a minute, until the mixture is smooth and sticky. Roll into small marble-sized meatballs, about 10, and keep them in the fridge.
3. Finely chop the remaining 30 g of onion. Warm 2 tsp of the oil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat and fry the onion for 6-8 minutes until soft and pale gold. Stir in 0.5 tsp of turmeric and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add the drained split peas and 400 ml of water, bring to the boil, skim, then cover partly and simmer on low for 25 minutes. Stir in the rice and simmer a further 20 minutes, stirring now and then so it does not catch, until the peas are tender and the soup has thickened slightly.