fesenjan

A delicious recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew with chicken and chickpeas. Earthy, rich and tangy, this is bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor!

Fesenjan -Persian Stew with Walnuts and Pomegranate

walnuts

1-1 ½ pounds chicken thighs

salt and pepper

olive oil

yellow onion, diced

garlic, rough chopped

turmeric

cumin

cinnamon (optional)

cinnamon

nutmeg

black pepper

orange zest

chicken stock

pomegranate molasses or syrup (or make your own- see notes)

maple

salt

chickpeas

serve with saffron infused rice

Garnish- chopped Italian parsley and pomegranate seeds

Heat a dutch oven over medium-low heat and toast the walnuts, stirring every couple minutes, until golden, roughly 10 minutes.  At the same time, chop the onions and garlic. Cut the chicken ( if using)  into 1 inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Drain and rinse chickpeas if using.

Set toasted walnuts on a plate to cool. Then place in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.

Wipe out the Dutch oven and drizzle with a little oil and sear the chicken until golden. Set aside. Using the same pan, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, golden and fragrant, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 3-4 more minutes. When onion garlic mixture is deeply golden, add the cinnamon stick, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin and orange zest, and toast for 1-2 more minutes.

Add the broth, sraping up any browned bits. Add pomegranate molasses, maple syrup,  and 1 ½ teaspoons salt, the seared chicken, ground walnuts and bring to a boil, stirring.

Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 45 minutes, covered, stirring every 15 mins.

 Uncover, add chickpeas, and continue simmering until the stew has thickened and reduced,  10-15 more minutes, stirring.

Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley.

Serve with saffron-infused basmati rice, quinoa, or Persian Rice.

Sounds yummy, could one substitute honey for the maple syrup in both the pomegranate molasses reduction and the maple syrup?

My friend made this last night &amp; it was delicious!  I’ve never had anything like it.  The flavors were complex... warm, comforting base &amp; the pomegranate seeds added just the right pop!  It’s June, so I was surprised she was able to find pomegranate.  She made her own pom syrup (per instructions).  She used chickpeas &amp; cauliflower (vegetarian option), and the only thing we would have done differently is add the cauliflower later, so it doesn’t get over-cooked.   Served with sourdough toast.  
I will definitely make this again.  I’m excited to share it with others!

I used to have a recipe that used Cranberry Jelly instead of the Pomegranate Molasses.  It was wonderful, but I can't seem to find it now - you could try substituting that and see what happens.

I loved this.
I have to admit that I did reduce the amount of walnuts ... but it still was great.  I am a great fan of pomegranate molasses ... it is such a rich favour.

Your spicing and

This was super good! I'd recommend putting a tiny bit more salt just since it's so sweet. And I'd also cook it longer so it's more of a stew than a soup. But still very nice! I took pictures but just noticed there's no place to share lol oops!

This is incredible! We followed the recipe exactly with our own homemade pomegranate molasses and using both chickpeas and chicken. The stew was wonderful on the taste tests, but once the pomegranate seeds were added on the plate, it really popped!

Would this work for lamb chunks too? If so, would you do anything different with the spice mixture?

Authentic Persian or not, it was so damn good.
Mine did not get as dark and camel colored like the pictures.
Any advise for next time?

The listed amount for salt was WAY Too much. Better to add to taste.
Also, the orange peel is not -in my experience- in anyway Persian. I tried it but probably will leave it out in the future.

Love, love love this recipe!
We subbed lentils and butter beans for the chicken and chickpeas to make it vegetarian and it was perrrrfect!
So rich and delicious!

Thanks so much for posting this recipe.  It was perfect!  I shared some with my neighbors who said they were "literally snorting it down".  My spouse has already served himself a portion for breakfast and put it in the fridge.  I skipped the maple and added 30% more of the pomegranate molasses (store bought).  Next time I'll blitz the walnuts a bit longer- mine weren't as creamy as yours.  My friend just survived breast cancer and has switched to a vegan diet and I can't WAIT to make the vegan option for her with chickpeas and cauliflower florets.  Thanks again!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/jTSE4KES.mp4

The EASIEST way to cut and deseed a pomegranate with a simple video tutorial. Once you try it this way, you’ll be hooked! Easy, convenient and fast, and way more affordable than buying pomegranate seeds! 

how to cut a Pomegranate!

9-ingredient vegan Fesenjān made with lentils! A hearty stew of toasted  walnuts, pomegranate molasses, onion, and  spices. A comforting, Persian-inspired, plant-based meal!

Hearty Lentil Fesenjān (Pomegranate Walnut Stew)

pomegranate molasses ((or pomegranate juice // see instructions to make your own))

water ((or

yellow onion, finely chopped

vegetable broth ((or store-bought))

sugar

tsp ground turmeric ((plus more to taste))

tsp ground cinnamon ((plus more to taste))

jasmine rice* ((or sub cauliflower rice*))

pomegranate arils

parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Add walnuts to bare baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, being careful not to burn, just toast. Set aside.

In the meantime, if making pomegranate molasses from pomegranate juice, add&nbsp;1 cup (240 ml) pomegranate juice (adjust amount if adjusting serving size) to small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue cooking for about 30 minutes, or until darkened in color and reduced to roughly 1/4 cup (60 ml // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Reduce heat to medium-low if bubbling too vigorously. Once reduced, turn off heat and set aside.

Once walnuts are done roasting, let cool slightly then add to food processor or high-speed blender and pulse into a fine meal (see photo). Set aside.

Heat an extra-large rimmed skillet or pot over medium heat and add water (or oil) and onions. Season with a pinch each salt and pepper and stir. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until soft and translucent.

Add vegetable broth and bring to a simmer (starting with the lesser amount and adding more later as needed). Add lentils and stir.

Cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are just tender, stirring occasionally. Add more vegetable broth as needed to keep the lentils submerged.

Once the lentils are just tender, add walnut meal, pomegranate molasses (start with the lesser amount and work your way up - store-bought can be more intense in flavor), maple syrup, and spices (see photo). Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Then reduce heat to low and continue simmering for 10 minutes, or until thickened and fragrant. Stir occasionally.

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more maple syrup or pomegranate molasses for sweetness, salt for saltiness, turmeric for earthiness, or cinnamon for warmth. You can also add more vegetable broth at this time if it’s become too thick.

Serve over cooked rice (see notes for instructions) and garnish with pomegranate arils and fresh chopped parsley (optional), or enjoy alone as a hearty stew.

Leftovers keep well covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 1 month, though best when fresh. Reheat on the stovetop until warm, adding vegetable broth to rehydrate as needed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn8FxzI6sTA

9-ingredient vegan Fesenjān made with lentils! A hearty stew of toasted walnuts, pomegranate molasses, onion, and spices. A comforting, Persian-inspired, plant-based meal!

Full Recipe: https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-lentil-fesenjan/

Fesenjān (also called fesenjoon) is an Iranian stew traditionally made with meat, pomegranate molasses or paste, and walnuts. It’s believed that during the Sassanian empire (224 -651 AD), it was served to celebrate the new year. Our version is not traditional, but is our plant-based take.
 
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Vegan Lentil Fesenjān (Pomegranate Walnut Stew) | Minimalist Baker

Fesenjan is a traditional Persian pomegranate and walnut chicken stew. It&#039;s sweet and sour with a rich nutty flavor, served over rice. The chicken is cooked in a rich walnut and pomegranate sauce until tender, making this a luscious and delicious meal.

Fesenjan (Persian Pomegranate and Walnut Stew)

vegetable oil

onion (diced)

bone-in chicken thighs

lb walnuts (About 4 cups)

pumpkin (15 oz.)

tsp salt

tsp black pepper

pomegranate molasses

Using a food processor, crush the walnuts to form fine crumbs. Make sure not to overprocess, you don&#39;t want the walnuts to release their oil.

Heat the vegetable oil in a pot, preferably a Dutch oven over medium heat.

Once the oil is hot, add the onions ad sauté onion until translucent and slightly golden, about 10 minutes.

Add in the turmeric and cook for a minutes. Add in the chicken and sear for 5-7 minutes on each side, until they are golden. They should not cook all the way through. Remove the chicken thighs from the pot, place them on a plate and set them aside.

Add the walnuts and sauté for 5-10 minutes so they start releasing their aroma.

Add 3-4 cups of water. Turn the heat up to medium high and bring the mixture to boil, turn the heat down to medium and let it simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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