Lamb with Dried Lime (Gheimeh Bademjan)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup yellow split peas, rinsed
• 3 whole dried limes (limoo amani), pierced with a few holes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups water
• 2 medium eggplants, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, for sweating eggplant
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying eggplant
• 4 cups cooked basmati rice, for serving