A classic Persian barbecue dish, traditionally grilled over open charcoal and served with fresh lavash bread, grilled tomatoes and fragrant herbs.
| Ingredients (4 servings) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | large onion, very finely grated and squeezed well | |
| 800 | g | fatty lamb or beef (or a mixture) from the neck or shoulder, preferably minced three times |
| 2 | Garlic cloves, finely chopped | |
| 2 | teaspoon(s) | Salt |
| 1 | teaspoon(s) | black pepper, freshly ground |
| 1 | teaspoon(s) | Sumac, plus more for sprinkling |
| 1/2 | teaspoon(s) | Turmeric |
| 1/2 | teaspoon(s) | Saffron threads, ground and dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water |
| 1 | tablespoon(s) | tomato paste (optional) |
| 1 | Egg yolk (helps with binding) | |
| 3 | tablespoon(s) | cold soda water (for the texture) |
| 50 | g | Clarified butter (Roghan), melted, for spreading |
| Ingredients (4 servings) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | bunch | Raihan (Persian basil) or normal basil |
| 1/2 | bunch | Shaneh (Persian mint) or peppermint |
| 1/2 | bunch | Tarragon |
| 1/2 | bunch | Coriander |
| 1 | bunch | Parsley |
| 4 | Spring onions, cut into long pieces | |
| 2 | Radishes, thinly sliced | |
| 8-10 | Walnuts (optional) | |
| 1/2 | teaspoon(s) | Salt |
| 2 | tablespoon(s) | Olive oil |
| 1 | tablespoon(s) | fresh lime juice |
| Ingredients (4 servings) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8 | small Roma or 4 large tomatoes | |
| 2 | tablespoon(s) | Olive oil |
| 1/2 | teaspoon(s) | Salt |
| 1/4 | teaspoon(s) | black pepper, ground |
| 1 | teaspoon(s) | Sumac |
| Ingredients (4 servings) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 500 | g | Greek yogurt or labneh |
| 1 | Cucumber, peeled, cored and finely diced | |
| 2 | Garlic cloves, finely chopped | |
| 2 | tablespoon(s) | Dried mint |
| 2 | tablespoon(s) | Rose water (optional) |
| 1/2 | teaspoon(s) | Salt |
| 1/4 | teaspoon(s) | black pepper |
| 1 | tablespoon(s) | Rose buds, dried, for garnish (optional) |
| Ingredients (4 servings) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8 | leaves | thin lavash or sangak bread |
| 4 | Limes or lemons, quartered | |
| Clarified butter for drizzling | ||
Finely grate the onion and squeeze well in a cloth. Mix the meat, garlic, spices, saffron water, tomato paste and egg yolk in a bowl. Knead vigorously for at least 10 minutes. Work in the soda water until the texture is smooth. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge for 2-4 hours.
To make the yoghurt sauce, mix the squeezed cucumber with the yoghurt, garlic, mint, rose water, salt and pepper and chill.
Wash and dry the herbs and chop coarsely or leave whole. Season with spring onions, radishes and walnuts with salt, olive oil and lime juice just before serving.
Preheat the charcoal grill to a high heat. With moistened hands, shape about 120 grams of meat mixture around flat metal skewers and make a slight groove in the middle. Thread the tomatoes onto separate skewers, brush with oil and season.
Grill the skewers for 4-5 minutes per side until the meat is browned and still juicy on the inside. Brush occasionally with clarified butter during grilling. Grill the tomatoes until the skin bursts easily.
Place the lavash bread on a platter, carefully remove the grilled meat from the skewer and arrange on top. Add the tomatoes, sprinkle with sumac and drizzle with clarified butter. Serve with herb salad, yogurt sauce and lime wedges.
*Cover picture porcelain: "Sunflower" collection by Frankl24
