🍢 Chelo kebab koobideh
Chelo kebab koobideh pairs long skewers of minced lamb, mixed with grated onion and charcoal-grilled, with a mound of fluffy saffron basmati rice. The kebabs are juicy and smoky, the rice is light and fragrant, and a pat of butter melts into it at the table. It is served with blistered grilled tomatoes and a sprinkle of tangy sumac over the meat.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 600 g minced lamb
- 1 large onion, finely grated and squeezed dry
- 400 g basmati rice
- 1 pinch saffron, ground and steeped in 3 tbsp hot water
- 30 g butter
- 4 tomatoes
- 2 tsp sumac
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Mix the lamb with the onion, salt and pepper and knead for 5 minutes until sticky; chill 30 minutes.
- Parboil the rinsed rice in salted water for 6 minutes, drain, then steam on low heat for 30 minutes; stir saffron water through part of it.
- Press the meat onto flat skewers in long, even kebabs.
- Grill over hot coals or under a high grill 3–4 minutes per side, with the tomatoes alongside.
- Serve the kebabs on the rice with the grilled tomatoes, a small knob of butter and sumac.
How to make it lighter
- Use a smaller knob of butter on the rice or leave it off; 1 tbsp butter ≈ 100 kcal.
- Choose leaner minced lamb, or eat one skewer instead of two.
- Fill half the plate with grilled tomatoes and a fresh herb salad to stretch a smaller portion of rice.
History
Chelo kebab is widely regarded as Iran's national dish and is often linked to Tehran's bazaar eateries of the nineteenth century, where grilled kebab began to be served with steamed rice. Koobideh, from the Persian word for 'pounded', refers to the minced meat that is kneaded until it clings to the wide flat skewers.
Count it in one photo
Point your camera at the table — Me Nutrition recognises Chelo kebab koobideh and every other dish, with calories and macros for each. Ate only half? Slide it.
Download on the App StoreSimilar dishes
Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →