Chelo Kabab (Rice with Broiled Lamb)


Chelo Kabab is the queen of all kababs and is a specialty of Iran. Most foreign tourists know what Shish Kabab is, and many of them have already tried it in Middle Eastern restaurant or have made it themselves at home. But be sure you have never tasted Chelo Kabab unless you have visited Iran!
Chelo Kabab is derived from two words; Chelo= cooked rice, and Kabab= broiled meat or fowl. To prepare the real Chelo Kabab one should use fillet or lamb. But since that part of the lamb is hard to obtain in some countries, leg of lamb or sometimes shoulder of lamb are good substitutes! The secret of good and tasty Cherlo Kabab lies in marinating of the meat. The meat should be properly marinated in onion juice and sometimes in yogurt for a day or two.
There is an old tradition as to how one should eat Chelo Kabab is to put plenty of Chelo in a plate, make a small hole in the center of it, put an egg yolk in it, then plenty butter, the broiled Kabab, and a teaspoon or two of sumac over it.:) Mix these ingredient well and start eating.:) This description and this combination, certainly, sounds very odd, but it is extremely delicious and quite different in taste.


Some other meat and fowl dishes are:

Jujeh Kabab: broiled chicken
Kabab e Morgh: roasted chicken
Kotlet e kubideh: Iranian hamburger
Kufteh Gusht: Iranian meat loaf
Luleh Kabab: Kabab with ground lamb
Shami: Tehrani hamburger
Shish Kabab: broiled lamb on the skewer
Tas Kabab: baked lamb
Kabab e Barg, Kabab e Sar Ashpaz, Kabab e Qafqazi, Kabab e Soltani, Kabab e kubideh,Chenje Kabab, Mahi Kabab, …

Kabab Kubide
Ingredients: (4 servings)
Ground lamb or beef, 500 g
Large onions, two (grated)
Garlic, one clove (crushed)
Large egg, one (beaten)
Medium tomatoes, four
Salt
Black pepper
Turmeric, one teaspoon (optional)
Sumac (optional)
Directions:Mix meat, onions, garlic, egg, salt, pepper and turmeric well and leave in the refrigerator overnight (or for several hours).Press the meat around long, thick metal skewers and shape evenly. Thread whole tomatoes on another skewer. Barbeque each side for about five minutes, turning frequently. (If skewers are not available or barbequing is not possible, kabab-e koobideh can be shaped into long, thin portions on aluminum foil and grilled at high temperature in the oven. The oven should be pre-heated and kabab-e koobideh should be placed as high as possible near the source of the heat. Again, turn a few times.) Serve with hot Basmati rice or on middle-eastern bread. If serving with rice, some sumac may be sprinkled on top. If kabab-e koobideh was made in an oven, the juice from the kabab can be poured on rice or bread.

Kabab Barg
Ingredients: (6 servings)
Fillet of lamb, 1 kg
Extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup
3 onions, grated
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
6 medium tomatoes
Saffron, 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Salt
Black pepper
Sumac (optional)
Directions:Prepare marinade: mix olive oil, onions, garlic, saffron, salt and black pepper. Cut lamb into 1 cm thick and 4-5 cm long pieces. Do not remove all the fat as you will need it to melt. Marinate overnight (preferably 24 hours) in refrigerator. Container should be covered.Thread lamb on long, thin metal skewers. Thread whole tomatoes separately on another skewer. Brush with marinade. Barbeque for about 5-10 minutes on each side, turning frequently. Kabab Barg can also be made in the oven. Prepare as before, pre-heat the grill to a high temperature, and place just under the grill, again turning frequently. Serve hot with basmati rice or on middle-eastern bread. If served with rice, some sumac may be sprinkled on.

Jujeh Kabab
Ingredients: (4 servings)
Chicken, 1 kg
Extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup
2 large onions, grated
4 medium tomatoes
Salt
Black pepper
Saffron, 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Directions:Prepare marinade: mix olive oil, grated onions, saffron, salt and black pepper. Wash and cut chicken into small pieces, then remove the skin. Marinate overnight (or at least for several hours) in refrigerator. The container should be covered.Thread chicken on long, thin metal skewers. Thread leg and thigh pieces, wings and breast pieces separately, as breast requires slightly less cooking. Also thread whole tomatoes separately on another skewer. Brush with marinade. Barbeque for about 5-10 minutes on each side, turning frequently. Joojeh Kabab can also be prepared in the oven. Prepare chicken as before, pre-heat the grill to a high temperature, and place just under the grill, again turning frequently. Serve hot with basmati rice or on middle-eastern bread.

Maahi Kabab (Fish)
Ingredients: (4 servings)
Whole fish (such as salmon or cod)
Fresh lime juice, 1/2 cup
Extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup
Coriander, 50 grams
Parsley, 50 grams
Mint, 50 grams
Saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
Salt
Black pepper
Directions:Note that fresh fish should have raised eyes and should be bright red under the ears.Cut fish length-wise from below. Remove insides, then wash inside and out, and dry thoroughly. Place each side under grill at high temperature for 5-10 minutes so that the skin dries up. Remove fish and separate skin which should come off easily.Prepare sauce as following: wash and finely chop coriander, parsley and mint. Add lime juice, olive oil, saffron, salt, and black pepper, and mix well.Cover a suitable pan with aluminum foil and place fish on top. Add the sauce on both sides as well as inside. Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and cook in oven at medium temperature for 45 minutes to one hour. Note however that exact cooking time depends on the type and size of fish. Take care not to over-cook. Add more sauce 2 or 3 times during cooking. When cooked, decorate fish with slices of lime or lemon and some parsley. Serve with Sabzi Polow. It is customary to serve Maahi Kabab with Sabzi Polow on the Iranian New Year's day which coincides with the Spring Equinox.
This dish is very special for Iranian traditionaly. they serve it at noruz at dinner or lunch.