Ingredients
- SpinneysFOOD Long-Grain Basmati Rice 125g
- Yellow split peas 125g
- Large red onions 4
- Garlic 4 cloves
- SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander 50g
- SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley 50g
- SpinneysFOOD Fresh Chives 50g
- SpinneysFOOD Fresh Mint 50g
- Spring onions 100g
- SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil 7 tbsp
- SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric 1 ¾ tsp
- SpinneysFOOD Fine Black Pepper 1 tsp
- SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water 1½L
- Fresh pomegranate juice 1¼L
- Pomegranate molasses 80ml
- SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt 2 tsp, to taste
- SpnneysFOOD Lean Beef Mince 500g
- Cardamom powder ¼ tsp
- Ground saffron A pinch
- SpinneysFOOD Dried Mint 1 tbsp
- SpinneysFOOD Fresh Pomegranate Jewels 125g
Nutrition (Per serving)
- Calories 546
- Fat 18.5g
- Saturates 3.2g
- Protein 24.5g
- Carbs 72.4g
- Sugars 33.1g
Given the cook-at-home nature of Spinneys and natural variations in ingredients, nutritional information is approximated."
Zahra Abdalla's Ash-e-Anar (pomegranate soup)
Arabic 30 Mins Prep · 120 Mins Cook
- Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes, drain and set side. Wash and soak the split peas for 30 minutes, drain and set side.
- Peel and dice 1 onion. Peel and roughly mince the garlic. Finely chop the coriander, parsley, chives, mint and spring onions.
- In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp of oil then add the onions and sauté until they have softened and become light golden brown. Add the garlic, 1 tsp of turmeric, 1/2 tsp of pepper, yellow split peas and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add 1L of water, bring to a boil and reduce the heat; leave to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the rice and allow to cook for a further 20 minutes. After boiling, add the remaining water.
- Stir in the herbs, spring onions and pomegranate juice. Cover the pot and allow to cook over a medium heat for a further 45 minutes.
- To make the meatballs, finely mince 1 onion and drain the excess liquid from it. Combine the beef, onion, 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of pepper, cardamom, 1/2 tsp of turmeric and saffron in a medium-sized bowl and combine well. Shape the mixture into 5g balls and set aside on a large plate. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, fry the meatballs until they’ve browned. Remove and set aside.
- Add the meatballs and pomegranate molasses to the soup mixture and season with the salt. Allow to simmer for a further 30 minutes.
- Peel and finely slice 2 onions.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan placed over a medium heat. Fry the dried mint and 1/4 tsp of turmeric for 30 seconds then set aside. Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat. Fry the onion until crispy and golden. Set aside.
- Serve the soup topped with the fried mint, crispy onion and pomegranate seeds.