Persian / Iranian Ghalieh Esfanaaj

Ingredients

• 250 g ground lamb or beef
• 50 g dried black-eye beans
• 50 g dried split peas
• 50 g dried brown lentils
• 1 kg fresh spinach
• 2 onions
• 100 g fresh mint
• 1/4 teaspoon pomegranate powder
• 1 cup kashk (thick whey)
• vegetable oil
• salt
• black pepper

Directions

1. 1

   Wash black-eye beans, split-peas, and lentils, and soak in warm water for 4 hours. Rinse & drain then place in a large pan with approximately 1 litre of water. Add salt and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. About one cup of water should be left. (Add water or ladle out extra if necessary).

2. 2

   Peel and grate onions. Add to ground meat with salt and black pepper, and mix well. Shape the mixture into small balls. Fry meatballs in vegetable oil over medium heat until lightly browned all over.

3. 3

   Wash spinach & drain well, chop finely. Add to black-eye beans, split-peas, lentils, and meat balls, and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes until there the pulses are soft & there is no water left. Add the pomegranate powder to the pot for the last minute of cooking.

4. 4

   Wash mint and chop finely. Fry in oil for a few minutes.

5. 5

   Serve Ghalieh-Esfanaaj in 4 bowls with 1/4 cup kashk & 25g of mint on the top of each. Serve with a good flat bread / taftoon etc.