This is an Iraqi-style white broth stew — small ground lamb meatballs simmered with yellow split peas and finished with fresh dill and a cornstarch-milk thickener. It comes together in under an hour, and it reheats well all week without the meatballs turning rubbery. If you want a brothy, herb-forward stew that isn’t tomato-based, this is a solid weeknight option.
About the ingredients
- Yellow split peas: Soak them for at least 30 minutes before cooking. They don’t need to be fully tender when you add them to the pot — they’ll finish in the broth — but soaking cuts the cooking time noticeably.
- Ground lamb: Fat content matters here. An 80/20 blend gives the meatballs enough fat to stay tender without making the broth greasy. Very lean lamb can produce tight, dry meatballs.
- Fresh dill: Dried dill is a poor substitute in this dish. The whole point of adding it at the end is the bright, grassy aroma — dried dill won’t deliver that. If you can’t find fresh, flat-leaf parsley is a more honest swap than dried dill.
- Cornstarch and milk thickener: This is what gives the broth a slightly silky body rather than a watery finish. Use cold milk when dissolving the cornstarch — warm milk causes lumps.
- Clove-studded onion: A whole onion pierced with a few cloves goes into the broth whole and gets removed before serving. It’s a low-effort way to add background warmth without making the broth taste spiced.
Before you start
The one technique worth getting right is forming the meatballs. These are small — roughly the size of a large marble — and they need to be uniform so they cook evenly in the broth. Mix the lamb, egg white, and seasoning until just combined, then roll quickly with lightly damp hands. Overworking the mixture compacts the protein and makes the meatballs dense and chewy. Once they go into the simmering broth, leave them alone for the first few minutes; moving them too soon, before they’ve set, causes them to break apart.
Troubleshooting
- Meatballs falling apart in the broth: The broth is probably boiling too hard. A rolling boil batters the meatballs before they’ve had time to firm up. Keep it at a steady, gentle simmer once the meatballs go in.
- Split peas still chalky after cooking: They weren’t soaked long enough, or your simmer temperature was too low. If they’re still firm when the meatballs are done, fish the meatballs out temporarily and give the peas another 10–15 minutes before returning them.
- Broth tastes flat: The clove-onion infusion needs enough time — at least 15 minutes of simmering before you add anything else. If you rushed that step, a small splash of white wine vinegar stirred in at the end will sharpen the flavor.
- Thickener turns lumpy: The cornstarch-milk mixture was added to broth that was at a full boil, or it wasn’t stirred constantly during the pour. Reduce the heat to medium-low first, pour slowly, and stir continuously for about two minutes until the broth smooths out.
- Dill turns drab and loses its aroma: It went in too early. Add dill only after you’ve taken the pot off the heat, or in the final 60 seconds of cooking. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish — just stir it all in at the end.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within two hours of cooking; they keep well for up to four days. The split peas will absorb more liquid overnight, so add a splash of water or light broth when reheating to loosen the stew back to its original consistency. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring gently, until the meatballs reach 160°F (71°C) throughout — a probe thermometer is the most reliable check. For freezing, the stew freezes well for up to three months; freeze in individual portions for easy weekday meals. Thaw overnight in the fridge rather than at room temperature, then reheat as above. The dill flavor fades after freezing, so stir in a small handful of fresh dill after reheating if you have it.
Delightful Iraqi Meatball and Dill Stew
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- ½ cup split peas
1 medium onion - whole, peeled
6 whole cloves
1 small bay leaf (bay leaves)- 1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Meatball Ingredients
450 grams ground lamb (minced lamb)
1 small egg whites- ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper- ½ teaspoon spice mix
Stew Ingredients
1 small egg yolk
3 tablespoons cornflour
½ cup milk - cold- ½ cup dill - chopped
Instructions
- Soak the split peas for at least an hour.
- Stud the whole onion with the cloves, place in a pot with the bay leaf, vinegar, salt, drained split peas, and 6 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes; discard the studded onion and bay leaf.
- Meanwhile, mix all the meat ingredients and form meatballs, erring on smaller ones (we call them birds’ heads or sparrows’ heads).
- Drop the meatballs in the simmering liquid, bring back to boil, and simmer 10 minutes more.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold milk, and stir it into the simmering liquid.
- Bring back to boil and simmer 5 minutes more, stirring constantly.
- Whisk the egg yolk in a small bowl, adding a ladle of the hot liquid from the pot to temper it.
- Add the yolk mixture into the simmering pot, adding the chopped fresh dill.
- Simmer gently 5 to 10 minutes more, taste to adjust seasonings, and serve with rice (preferably mung bean rice).
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I use ground beef instead of ground lamb?
Yes, ground beef works fine here. Use an 80/20 blend and cook the meatballs to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). The flavor will be milder and less rich than lamb, but the broth and dill still carry the dish.
Do the split peas need to be fully cooked before adding the meatballs?
They should be about halfway tender — soft on the outside but with a little resistance in the center. If you add the meatballs to fully cooked split peas, the peas will turn to mush by the time the meatballs are done.
Can I make the meatballs ahead of time?
Yes — roll and refrigerate the raw meatballs on a tray for up to 24 hours before cooking. This actually helps them hold together better in the broth because the cold firms up the fat in the meat before they hit the heat.
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