Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until almost completely tender–there should still be a slight bite to the center. Rinse under cool water, drain, and set aside. In a separate pot, cover the split peas with water and simmer until just tender, 20-25 minutes. Drain, then add the split peas to a large bowl with the cooked rice.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Roughly chop the prunes and apricots and combine in a small bowl. Finely chop the raisins, adding half to the bowl and reserving the rest.

Peel and thinly slice the medium onion. In a wide Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until softened and starting to caramelize, 5-7 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring frequently, cooking for an additional 3 minutes or until coating the onions and deeper in color. Season with the sumac, turmeric, white pepper, and 1 TBSP salt. Stir in the dried mint and lemon zest and cook for 30 seconds. Deglaze with half of the lemon juice, then add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes to thicken the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

While the sauce cooks, prepare the meatballs. To the bowl with the cooked split peas and rice, add the ground beef, eggs, parsley, cilantro, chives, tarragon, dried oregano, black pepper, and remaining 1 ½ TBSP salt. Grate in half of the small onion and gently mix by hand, just until evenly combined. Divide into 6 portions, then work one at a time to form a patty. Stuff the center with a generous scoop of the dried fruit, then 2 walnut halves, and gently fold the edges of the beef mixture around the filling to form a uniform ball.

Carefully set the formed meatballs into the prepared sauce, then cover and braise for 90 minutes.

Once cooked, warm a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt in the butter, then stir in the remaining chopped raisins. Season with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar and remove from the heat. Serve the meatballs in a wide bowl with a little of the broth, topped with a small spoonful of dried raisins and butter!