Fesenjan

Method

1. 1 Roast the walnuts for 5 minutes, then grind them into a very fine paste.
2. 2 Sauté the onions in oil for 5 minutes, then add the chicken thighs and sear until golden brown on both sides.
3. 3 Add the ground walnuts and water to a pot, stir well, and simmer over low heat for 60 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
4. 4 Add pomegranate syrup, sugar, and cinnamon, then simmer for another 25 minutes until the sauce thickens and turns dark brown.
5. 5 Season with salt, sprinkle with fresh pomegranate seeds, and serve with basmati rice.

With an appliance

• Oven 1 hr 50 min

  Replace step 3: cover the cast iron pot and simmer the walnut sauce with the chicken on the middle rack of the oven at 160 degrees for 50 minutes, stirring once at minute 25; add the pomegranate syrup, sugar, and cinnamon from step 4 during the last 20 minutes.