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Jegar
Lamb liver skewers in bread
Jegar (جگر): Tehran street-cart lamb liver skewers in bread with basil and onion
On winter evenings in Tehran, the smell of jegaraki stalls, small grill shops selling skewers of lamb liver, heart and kidney, drifts across the streets, and people queue for a few skewers wrapped in warm lavash with raw onion and basil. This home version uses lamb liver cut into cubes and grilled fast over very hot coals so it stays soft and juicy, then seasoned only with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon at the end. A common mistake is salting the liver before grilling; it draws out moisture and makes it tough, so salt it as it comes off the heat. Chef's tip: ask the butcher for very fresh liver and peel off the thin outer membrane before cutting; it makes the cubes tender.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb lamb livermembrane and tubes removed
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 lemonin wedges
To serve
- 4 pieces lavash or thin flatbread
- 1 red onionsliced
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 2 tomatoes (optional)halved and grilled
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What you'll need
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Light a charcoal grill until the coals are white-hot, or heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Cut the 1 ⅓ lb lamb liver into 3 cm cubes and toss with 1 tbsp sunflower oil.
10 minStep 2: Thread the cubes onto thin metal skewers, leaving a little gap between them.
5 minStep 3: Grill for 6–8 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until browned outside. Cut one cube open: liver must be cooked through, with no red juice and only a faint blush, and reach 160°F in the centre.
8 minStep 4: Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper straight off the grill and squeeze over 1 lemon.
1 minStep 5: Pull the liver off the skewers into the 4 pieces lavash or thin flatbread with 1 red onion, 1 bunch fresh basil and 2 tomatoes, and roll up to eat at once.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jegar take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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