Sholeh mashhadi

Method

1. 1 Soak chickpeas and lentils for 8 hours, then drain.
2. 2 Simmer the lamb with onions and turmeric for 90 minutes, then shred the meat.
3. 3 Add the rice and beans to a pot of water and simmer for 60 minutes until everything is thoroughly cooked.
4. 4 Stir vigorously in the pot with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes until the mixture thickens into a fibrous mass.
5. 5 Stirring the food until it thickens into strands is a sign that it's cooked; simply cooking it until tender without stirring will result in ordinary porridge.
6. 6 Pour melted butter and fried onions over the top, then sprinkle with cinnamon and serve hot.

With an appliance

• Pressure cooker 2 hr

  Replace steps 2 and 3: cook under high pressure for 50 minutes, then release the pressure naturally, and then thicken as in step 4.