A recipe from Gemo

Chelo Kebab Koobideh

Name: Chelo Kebab Koobideh
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 8 koobideh kebab
Ingredients: 500 g Ground Lamb (not too lean); 300 g Ground Beef (not too lean); 360 g Onion (250 g finely grated and squeezed dry | 1 pc thin wedges, for serving); 45 g Salt (1.5 tsp for kebabs | 2 tbsp for soaking and boiling rice); 1 tsp Black Pepper (freshly ground); 0.25 tsp Saffron (crushed threads, divided); 3044.37 ml Water (3 tbsp hot, for blooming saffron | 3 l for soaking and boiling rice); 80 g Butter (30 g melted, for brushing kebabs | 50 g for rice and serving); 400 g Basmati Rice (long-grain); 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil (for rice pot and grill); 4 pc Tomato (firm medium tomatoes, for grilling); 2 tsp Sumac (for serving); 1 bunch Basil (or mixed fresh herbs, for serving)

გემო (ოფიციალური)Chef

★ 3.0 (1)

95 minHard4 servings

A Persian chelo-kebab plate with juicy minced lamb and beef koobideh, fluffy saffron-topped rice, grilled tomatoes, butter, sumac, raw onion, and herbs. This version keeps the seasoning restrained so the dish stays Iranian-style koobideh, not Turkish Adana or Armenian/Azerbaijani lula kebab.

Method

01
Rinse the basmati rice gently until the water runs mostly clear, then soak it in cold water with 1 tablespoon of the rice salt for at least 45 minutes. Crush the saffron, cover it with the hot water, and let it bloom while you prepare the meat.
⏱ 45 min
02
For the koobideh, put the grated onion in a clean towel or fine sieve and squeeze out as much juice as possible. Mix 500 g lamb, 300 g beef, the squeezed onion, 1.5 teaspoons kebab salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of bloomed saffron water. Knead firmly for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture turns sticky and cohesive, then cover and chill for 1 hour.
⏱ 60 min
03
Drain the soaked rice. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil with the remaining 1 tablespoon rice salt, add the 400 g rice, and boil for 5-7 minutes, until the grains are soft at the edges but still firm in the center. Drain well. Add 2 tablespoons oil and 20 g butter to the empty pot, return the rice in a loose mound, poke several steam holes through it, wrap the lid in a clean towel, and steam over low heat for 35-40 minutes.
⏱ 40 min
04
Heat a charcoal grill, gas grill, or very hot broiler. Lightly oil wide flat metal skewers and keep a bowl of cold water nearby. Divide the chilled meat into 8 portions, press each portion evenly along a skewer, seal the ends tightly, and pinch shallow ridges along the meat with wet fingers. Skewer the tomatoes separately or place them on the grill whole.
05
Grill the koobideh over high heat, turning every 20-30 seconds for the first 2 minutes so the meat sets on the skewers, then turning often until browned, juicy, and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes total. Grill the tomatoes until blistered and softened. Brush the hot kebabs with 30 g melted butter as they come off the heat.
⏱ 10 min
06
When the rice is ready, mix a large spoonful of cooked rice with the remaining bloomed saffron water. Spoon the white chelo onto a warm platter, scatter the saffron rice over the top, and dot with the remaining 30 g rice butter. Serve any tahdig from the bottom of the pot on the side if it formed cleanly.
07
Serve the koobideh immediately with the saffron-topped chelo, grilled tomatoes, raw onion wedges, fresh basil or herbs, extra butter, and sumac for sprinkling over the rice and kebabs.