Eggplant, Walnut + Herb Braise with Meatballs

Name: Eggplant, Walnut + Herb Braise with Meatballs (Khoresh-e Anar Abij/Sangeh Khoresh)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: Serves: 6 to 8
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: ½ cup sour orange juice; 1½ cups/185 g walnuts; 3½ cups/840 ml pomegranate juice; ½ teaspoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 1 lb/450 g ground chicken, turkey or lamb; 4 Chinese eggplants (2 lb/900 g), peeled and sliced; 5 cloves garlic, peeled; 1 cup/85 g croughly hopped fresh parsley; ¼ cup/60 ml oil; ½ cup/40 g chopped fresh cilantro; ½ cup/40 g chopped spring onions (white and green parts); 2 tablespoons rice flour; ¼ cup/20 g chopped fresh khalvash or 1 teaspoon dried (optional); 1 teaspoon dried mint; ½ cup/40 g chopped fresh basil; ½ cup/75 g pomegranate arils (optional); 1 tablespoon dried mint; 2 cups/170 g roughly chopped fresh cilantro; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 small onion, peeled, grated, and juice squeezed out; ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Khoresh-e Anar Abij/Sangeh Khoresh

Preparation info

Serves:
6 to 8

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
2 hr 30

Appears in

Cooking in Iran

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2020

About

Ingredients

Walnut Sauce

3½ cups/840 ml pomegranate juice
1½ cups/185

Asia
Iran
Gluten-free

Method

For the walnut sauce: Place 1 cup/240ml of the pomegranate juice and the walnuts in a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth paste. Transfer to a medium-sized cast-iron pot and add the remaining pomegranate juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
For the herbs: In the food processor,