Fancy a hearty lentil dish with an oriental flair? This fine fesenjan will delight you, with roasted walnuts, lentils, pomegranate syrup and fine spices. Traditional Persian cuisine interpreted plant-based. Vegan, high in fiber and full of flavors.
TIP: If you soak the lentils overnight, you will reduce the cooking time from 30 to 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 175 degrees (convection) or 195 degrees top-bottom heat and line a baking sheet with baking paper or a permanent baking mat.
Spread walnuts evenly on baking sheet and place in oven. Roast for 10 minutes. Keep in mind not to burn the nuts. Remove from the oven and let cool. Place in a blender and process to a coarse flour. Set aside.
100 g Walnuts
In the meantime, make the pomegranate syrup(this step is omitted if ready-made pomegranate syrup is used). To do this, put a cup of pomegranate juice (250ml) in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium and simmer for about 25-30 minutes until the juice has reduced to about ⅓ of the original amount. Remove from heat and set aside.
3 tbspn Pomegranate syrup
Provide a large pot, heat olive oil in it. Add onion, onion, salt, pepper, tomato paste, turmeric and cinnamon and stir. Add the lentils and deglaze with vegetable stock. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the lentils are soft but still firm to the bite.
15 ml Olive oil, 1 Piece yellow onion, ½ tbspn Salt, ½ tbspn Pepper, 30 g Tomato paste, 1 tbspn Turmeric, ½ tbspn Cinnamon, 600 ml Vegetable broth, 205 g Pardina lentils
Add pomegranate syrup, walnut flour and maple syrup, stir and season to taste.
3 tbspn Pomegranate syrup, 15 ml maple syrup
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (without rice) or freeze in portions.