2 onions, halved and thinly sliced into half moons
4-5 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 fingers fresh turmeric, scrubbed and halved
1/2tsp freshly ground black
For the koftas
500g chicken mince, preferably thigh
3 fat garlic cloves, minced
5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
2tsp pul biber chilli flakes, plus extra to serve
1tsp ground turmeric
1/2tsp ground white pepper
1 small pack (approx. 30g) dill, finely chopped
1 bunch spring onions, thinly sliced from root to tip
1 egg, beaten
Method
For the broth, put a large pan over a medium heat, drizzle in some oil, add the ginger, onions and garlic and fry for a few minutes until softened. Add the turmeric and pepper, then pour in 2-2.5 litres water and increase the temperature to bring to a rolling boil so the turmeric infuses the liquid and begins to turn it a golden colour. Season generously with salt and cook for 10 minutes while you make the koftas.
Put all the kofta ingredients, reserving one-third of the dill and 2-3 spring onions for the garnish, into a mixing bowl along with a generous amount of salt. Using your hands, work the ingredients together well for a few minutes until you get a smooth, sticky and evenly combined mixture.
Roll into 20-24 meatballs around the size of a table-tennis ball, add them to the broth and cook for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta or noodles according to the pack instructions until al dente, then drain and plunge into a bowl of cold water to halt the cooking.
Check and add more salt to the broth if needed. Drain the pasta or noodles, add to the broth with the lettuce and cook for a couple of minutes before stirring in the reserved dill.
Divide the broth among four bowls and garnish with the reserved spring onions and extra pul biber to serve.
Recipes and photographs taken from 'Persiana Made Easy' by Sabrina Ghayour, photography by Kris Kirkham (Mitchell Beazley, £28)
