Persian pomegranate soup with meatballs (Ash-e anar)

1. Rinse the yellow split peas, bring to the boil with the water and cook for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile knead the minced beef with the grated half onion, salt and pepper and roll cherry-sized meatballs with wet hands.

3. Thinly slice the remaining onion, fry in the oil until golden, set half aside, stir the turmeric into the rest and add it to the soup with the rinsed rice; cook for 20 minutes.

4. Add the meatballs and the finely chopped parsley and mint and cook for 20 more minutes until the rice breaks down and the soup thickens.

5. Stir in the pomegranate molasses and sugar, season with salt and pepper; taste: it should be sweet and sour, add more molasses if needed.

6. Ladle into bowls and scatter the pomegranate seeds, fried onions and dried mint sizzled in a little oil on top.

Tip: Ash-e anar is the Persian autumn soup, served at pomegranate harvest time and on Yalda night (the longest night of the year). The tartness of pomegranate molasses varies greatly by brand, so always set the sweet-sour balance at the end, by tasting.