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Kabab koobideh
کباب کوبیده: long minced-lamb kebabs grilled on flat skewers
Koobideh is the kebab of Tehran's bazaar lunch houses and roadside chelo-kababis, laid on a hill of buttered rice with a raw egg yolk or a slab of butter melting into the grains. The name means 'pounded': minced lamb is kneaded with grated onion until it turns sticky and pale, then pressed by hand along wide, flat skewers and grilled hard over coals. It comes out juicy and onion-sweet, with little ridges from your fingers. Eat it with charred tomatoes, raw onion, fresh herbs and lavash on the side. Chef's tip: squeeze every drop of juice out of the grated onion; wet mince slips straight off the skewer.
- Total time
- 42 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the kebabs
To baste and serve
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Grate 2 onions on the fine side of a grater into a clean cloth and squeeze hard until no more juice comes out. Use only the dry pulp.
5 minStep 2: In a large bowl combine 1 ¾ lb lamb mince (about 20% fat), the onion pulp, 1 ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp ground turmeric and ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda. Knead with your hand for 5–8 minutes, slapping it against the bowl, until it turns pale, sticky and stringy.
8 minStep 3: Cover and chill the mince in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or overnight). Cold mince holds on the skewer much better. Wash your hands and the bowl's surroundings after touching raw meat.
60 minStep 4: Divide into 8 portions. With wet hands squeeze each portion along a wide flat metal skewer into a 20 cm sausage about 2 cm thick, pressing firmly at both ends. Pinch it with your fingers every few centimetres to make the classic ridges.
10 minStep 5: Heat a barbecue until the coals are glowing white, or a grill to high. Grill 4 tomatoes on separate skewers. Lay the kebabs on, holding them above the bars if you can, and turn them after 30 seconds so they set before they can droop.
2 minStep 6: Grill for 8–10 minutes in total, turning every minute or so and brushing with 2 tbsp vegetable oil mixed with 2 tbsp saffron water, until browned all over.
10 minStep 7: Minced meat must be cooked through: check that it reaches 160°F (160 °F) in the centre, with no pink left. A common mistake is leaving the mince too wet or too warm, so the kebabs fall into the fire.
1 minStep 8: Slide the kebabs off with a piece of lavash or a fork onto warm plates, rest for 2 minutes, then serve with 4 portions cooked chelow rice or lavash, the tomatoes, 1 handful fresh mint, basil and radishes and a sprinkle of 1 tsp sumac.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kabab koobideh take?
- About 42 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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