andrejthechef
InternationalGrillDinnerGluten-freeHigh protein

Chelo Kebab

Iran’s national plate: koobideh kebabs of seasoned ground lamb on saffron rice with butter, sumac and a charred tomato.

prep
30 min
cook
20 min
total
50 min
serves
4
level
medium
Chelo Kebab, a classic from Iran.

Chelo kebab is Iran’s answer to the question of what a national dish should be: saffron steamed rice (the chelo) under koobideh, ground lamb kebabs that stay improbably juicy on the skewer.

Koobideh’s one technical demand is the onion: grated and squeezed almost dry. The juice left in is the reason kebabs slide off skewers into the coals of a thousand sad barbecues.

Chelo Kebab is one of the world's classic dishes from 67 countries.

method

  1. Knead the lamb with the squeezed onion, salt, pepper and sumac for a full 5 minutes until sticky and paste-like. Chill 30 minutes.

  2. With wet hands, press the meat along wide flat skewers, pinching the classic ridges. No wide skewers: shape long flat patties.

  3. Grill over high heat, 3 to 4 minutes a side, turning once, alongside the whole tomatoes until blistered.

  4. Mix the saffron water into a scoop of the hot rice for the golden crown.

  5. Plate the chelo with its saffron crown and a pat of butter on the hot rice, the kebabs across it, the tomato beside, and sumac over everything.

chef's tips

  • Dry onion and a long knead are what keep koobideh on the skewer; skip either at your peril.
  • The butter melting into hot rice is not decoration; it is the sauce.
  • Sumac is the table salt of this plate, sour and rusty; be liberal.