Tabrizi Meatballs with Split Peas + Tomatoes

I had these meatballs under the fig tree in Rahmani Khanum’s backyard in Tabriz. There are variations of this dish throughout the country, including in Hamadan, where they use prunes instead of barberries. The meatballs are traditionally cooked on the stovetop, but here I’ve baked them in the oven. In Khorasan, where the meatballs are deep-fried and the broth is eliminated, the dish is called nargesi kabab (“fried narcissus balls”), and is somewhat similar to a Scotc