Kubideh in 6 Steps

Persian Kababs are so easy to make that they can easily become a weeknight fare, with some serious weekend flare. You can marinate the meat ahead of time, and when it is dinner time all you have to do is mold the meat around the skewers, and just grill in the oven for half an hour. These chicken kababs or Kubideh will also be ideal for Eid dinner or other special occasions.

Kubideh
Wondering what to cook for Eid? Make Kubideh in 6 Easy Steps. For the full recipe go to:http://www.cultivateflavors.blogspot.com/2015/09/kubideh-in-6-steps.html
Posted by Cultivate Flavors on Monday, September 21, 2015

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 and a half pounds of ground chicken thigh

1 large onion (finely grated, juice squeezed out)

6 cloves of garlic (finely grated)

Seeds of 4 green cardamom (crushed)

1 and a half teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric

1/4 teaspoon of ground saffron (Trader Joe's has high-quality Spanish saffron)

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (tenderizer)

2 tablespoons of sumac

Zest of 1 lime

Baste:

2 tablespoons of butter

Juice of half a lime

Step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, ground chicken, grated onion and garlic, crushed cardamom seeds, salt, black pepper, turmeric, ground saffron, baking soda and sumac. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. 

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray non-stick spray on the flat skewers. Keep a bowl of water next to you. Thread the meat onto the skewers with wet hands, the meat will stick to dry hands. 

Step 3: Mold the meat firmly around the skewers by pressing both ends, as shown in the video above. Keep your hands damp. 

Step 4: Place the skewers on a lined baking sheet. Grill in the oven for a total of 30 minutes. Turn the skewers over after baking for the first 15 minutes. 

Step 5: When the kababs are golden brown after 30 minutes, remove them from the oven. The kebabs should be seared on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. 

Step 6: Baste the kababs right away. Serve with sangak flat-bread or rice.  

Note: This recipe is adapted from Najmieh Batmanglij's cookbook called 'Food of Life'.