This is it! This is the last episode of QUIZINE IN QUARANTINE. As the UK slowly begins to ease the lockdown and return to normal life, so does Quizine. This means we must wrap up the QIQ series and return to our original plans of trying as many cuisines as possible!
We have made sure however, to end of a very special dish. Today, for the final episode of QIQ, we bring you a national dish of Iran – CHELO KABAB KOOBIDEH!
This is an absolute favourite of mine. I have tried the dish in various restaurants across west London but vowed to recreate it at home when the lockdown kicked in. Today Chelo Kabab is served all around Iran and is believed to have originated in the north of the country.
Follow our recipe below to try this wonderful dish!
INGREDIENTS
KOOBIDEH
1kg minced meat (lamb/beef)
2tsp. salt
1tsp. pepper
2 onions (grated)
1tsp. baking powder
2tbsp. corn flour
CHELO (RICE)
1kg rice
2ltr water
5tbsp. saffron water (crushed saffron added to hot water and 2tbsp. sugar)
3 bayleaf
4 cardamom
4 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. barberries
2 tbsp. crushed pistachios
1 tbsp. sumac
2 tbsp. ghee/butter
GRILLED VEGETABLE
1 bell pepper (green)
1 bell pepper (red)
1 red onion
1 tomato
5 green chillies
KOOBIDEH
1. Begin by getting the Koobideh ready. A crucial step in this is to grate your onion completely and then make sure to squeeze out as much water as you can. Too much water will prevent the meat mixture from being sticky, which means when it comes to positioning meat on skewer, meat will fall off.
2. Once onion is ready, add it to your minced meat alongside corn flour, salt and black pepper. Now get mixing.
3. Mix thoroughly for a good 5/6 mins until everything comes together and the minced meat is nice and sticky.
4. Put meat on wide skewer, squeeze and spread until it is nice and thin across.
5. Now chuck Koobideh on hot barbecue, the is no need for a grill, just place meat over the heat. Cook on each side for approximately 5 mins.
CHELO (RICE)
6. Now let’s begin with the rice, begin by washing and rinsing. Leave rice to soak for at least 30mins.
7. Pour 2 litres of water into stove.
8. Bring to boil, then add bay leafs, cardamom and salt to water. Close lid and leave on boil for a couple of minutes.
9. Now add rice to pot. Cook on medium heat for approx 7 mins, until rice is 90% cooked.
10. Now drain rice, wash with cold water and bring empty pot back onto fire. This time add approx 4 tbsp water and 3 tbsp oil and bring to sizzle.
11. Now chuck in your drained rice. Mix around.
12. Now with a spoon manoeuvre the rice inside the stove into a pyramid like shape, then poke holes all round.
13. Chuck a cloth over the rice, before closing lid, leave to cook on low heat for approx 10mins. This cooking technique will ensure rice has a wonderful fluffy texture when it’s ready.
TIP: Check in between, if you feel it’s too dry, you can add some hot water around the sides of the pot.
14. Now grill vegetables that will surround the rice when you serve. Pour olive oil into pan and throw peppers (green and red), red onion, tomatoes and green chillies inside pan. Cook for approx 3 mins on high heat until roasted.
15. Now throw ghee into hot pan.
16. Wait until it has melted and throw in barberries. Toast for a minute on low heat.
17. Now add hot water and sugar to saffron and mix to make saffron water.
18. It is time to plate up! Spread rice nicely over plate, take some rice and mix with saffron water until it becomes a beautiful golden yellow colour. Then top white rice with saffron infused rice.
19. Now sprinkle barberries, crushed pistachios and sumac over rice.
20. Position vegetables all around rice, serve with Koobideh and enjoy!