Persian Anar Bij Recipe – A Flavorful Pomegranate Stew
Anar Bij
Are you craving a different and delicious stew for lunch or dinner and need help deciding what to make? Do you like the taste of pomegranates in Iranian food? Today at Takrecipe, we want to teach you the recipe for one of the unique and hearty dishes of the Gilan province of Iran called “Anar Bij,” which is considered one of the most popular dishes in this province. Pomegranate stew or “Sangeh Khoresh” is one of the authentic dishes of Gilan province, which is made with ground walnut kernels, herbs (leek, parsley, coriander, mint, Khalvash, and Chochagh), minced meat of lamb, beef, duck, turkey or chicken, and pomegranate paste or verjuice. This stew looks very similar to Fesanjan, but the main difference is in the vegetable used in the pomegranate stew, which gives a wonderful flavor to this dish. Stay with us to learn how to prepare a delicious Anar Bij.
Ingredients for four people
- Minced meat 300 g
- Walnut 200 g
- Large onion 2
- Aromatic herbs 300 g
- Pomegranate paste 1 tbsp
- Salt To taste
- Black pepper To taste
- Turmeric To taste
Herb Preparation Guide
Wash and finely chop the herbs. Indigenous herbs, such as Khalvash and Chochagh, are used to prepare this stew. However, since these herbs are difficult to find in any grocery store, you can use a combination of coriander, parsley, mint, and leek.
Cooking the Herbs
Then put a suitable pan on the heat and add some oil. Once the oil is hot enough, add the chopped herbs and sauté them to change color. The more you sauté the herbs, the darker your stew will get. Then remove the herbs from the pan and set them aside.
Sautéing the Onion
Peel and wash one of the onions and finely chop it. Put a suitable pot on heat and add some oil. Then add chopped onion and sauté it to get translucent.
Adding and Sautéing Walnuts
Now grind the walnuts finely and add them to the pot. Sauté them for a minute.
Seasoning with Pomegranate Paste
At this stage, add the pomegranate paste, salt, black pepper, and turmeric to the pan and sauté them a little.
Simmering the Walnuts
Then add 4 cups of water to the pot and let the walnuts cook gently for an hour until the walnuts release their oil.
Incorporating Herbs & Preparing Meat
After an hour, add the fried herbs to the pot and let the stew cook for about an hour. Meanwhile, grate the remaining onion with a fine grater, drain its juice, and add it to a suitable bowl.
Preparing the Meat Mixture
Then add minced meat, salt, black pepper, and turmeric to the grated onion and mix the ingredients for a couple of minutes with your hands to get incorporated well. Then cover the mixture and refrigerate that for about an hour.
Shaping and Frying Meatballs
Put a pan on the heat and add oil to cover its bottom. Pick up the small pieces of the meat mixture, about the size of a small walnut, and roll it between the palms of your hands until it gets an excellent round shape. Then place meatballs one at a time in the pan.
Browning the Meatballs
Sauté the meatballs on each side for about 10 minutes until they get browning on the surface and cook through.
Final Cooking & Serving
Then put the meatballs in the stew. Let them cook for an hour until the stew reaches the desired consistency. Now you can test the stew and add salt or pomegranate paste. Your Anar Bij is ready. Prepare some for your family and enjoy.