Kabab Koobideh – Grilled Minced Meat Kabab کباک کوبیده is the ultimate favorite dish of all Persians and our National dish. It is no wonder why it is on the menu of every Persian restaurant, both in Iran and all over the world. Kabab translates to grilled, and Koobideh originates from the Persian word koobidan, which means to beat. Nowadays, the meat is passed through a meat grinder and used as minced meat for Kabab Koobideh. Traditionally, the meat was placed on a flat stone and smashed with a wooden mallet. According to the legend, ancient Persian soldiers used to grill the meat on their swords before going to battle. The challenge with Kabab Koobideh is that it does not fall off the wide, flat skewer (Seekh) while grilling over hot charcoals.
KABAB KOOBIDEH – GRILLED MINCED MEAT KABAB کباک کوبیده
Most Persians use half lamb and half ground beef for Kabab Koobideh. Today, I have a very delicious version of Kabab Koobideh – grilled minced kabab کباک کوبیده for you. I use 500 grams of lamb from the rib and 500 grams of veal from the shoulder and turn it twice through the meat grinder. My family is thrilled by the unique and juicy taste. Kabab Koobideh often is compared with the Turkish Adana Kebab, but it is not so spicy and tastes more delicate. Kebab is so beloved that there is even a holiday for it. The “World Kebab Day” is celebrated every 2nd Friday in July worldwide.
EQUIPMENT FOR THE PREPARATION OF KABAB KOOBIDEH
Barbecues and picnics together outdoors by a roaring stream are one of my intense childhood memories. When I think about it even today, my Endorphins (happiness hormones) rise again. On hot days, we packed up all our stuff and went by car to the mountains, as it was nice and cool up there. The essential food we packed was Kabab Koobideh, which we carried well chilled in our cool boxes. We also packed Seekh (Persian barbecue skewers), charcoal, and a Mangal – a Persian type of Grill. In many places in Iran, they don’t even use a mangal. They use some bricks or even larger stones that lie around as a small grill and dump the coal in the middle. This version is the most authentic for me.
Kabab Koobideh is stuck on a simple seekh (سیخ) – plain wide metal skewers, which are 2.5 cm wide and 60 cm long, and grilled over a mangal grill (a Persian grill). I own two Seekh versions, the one with a wooden handle, see here, and the one without a handle. You can buy a Mangal Grill for a few Euros in Persian grocery stores, or order it here. In a Mangal, the distance between the charcoal and the meat is low to make the perfect Kabab Koobideh. But first, the charcoal has to glow well, so heat it with a bad bezan (a hand fan). Start grilling when the charcoals glow and are red and covered with ashes.
MASTER THE ART OF MAKING KABAB KOOBIDEH
If you have never prepared Kabab Koobideh before, don’t be disappointed when the meat falls off the skewer. The prep is quite a skill and requires a lot of practice. For beginners, I recommend using a grill grid* in case the meat falls off; so it doesn’t end up burning in the glowing charcoals. In that case, your Koobideh is no longer edible and is a waste of quality meat. Kabab is also often prepared as Kabab Tabei at home in a pan. You can find here a simple and delicious recipe for Chicken Kabab Tabei.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH KABAB KOOBIDEH
Persians love their Kabab as Chelo Kabab, or Chelow Kabab with white rice, butter, raw onions, egg yolk and Sabzi Khordan. Dugh, the Persian national drink, is served with it as a beverage. When Kabab is served with a skewer of Koobideh and a skewer of Barg (lamb fillet), we call it Chelo(w) Kabab-e Soltani. Chelo(w) is plain white Persian rice. We also love Kabab along with Salad Shirazi and grilled tomatoes. Sumac is always on the table and ready to season the meat after grilling. Narendj (bitter orange) is also a favorite accompaniment, and some people drizzle it on the grilled Kabab Koobideh. It adds a fruity sour note to the meat. Sometimes the Kabab Koobideh is also served with warm saffron butter.
KABAB KOOBIDEH AS LOGMEH
Logmeh is a wrap filled with different fillings served on the hand and eaten immediately. Kabab Koobideh Logmeh tastes quite delicious with Persian lavash bread. To make it, place the skewer on the lavash bread; place another bread on top, hold it tight, and pull out the skewer. While doing this, you press the meat firmly so that the lavash bread can soak up the meat juice. For me, the bread soaked with meat juice is the best part of Kabab Koobideh and a true delicacy. Add some herbs, such as parsley or basil, and enjoy.
Kabab Koobideh is offered by a Kabab Foroosh or Kababi, a Kabab seller, at every corner of Iran. In front of the Kababi are a simple mangal and bread (either lavash, taftoon, or sangak bread), raw onions, tomato and sumac. As soon as you order, a skewer is grilled, then placed in a wrap and handed to you along with grilled tomato and some raw onions.
THE BEST KABAB KOOBIDEH IN TEHRAN AND GERMANY
*Ad due to my conviction* I ate the best Kabab Koobideh in Tehran last year at Reza Logmeh. A Kababi in the beautiful Zartosht neighborhood very close to the Tehran Grand Bazaar. After visiting the Tehran Bazaar, we stopped in and grabbed this delicious treat. It was so mouthwatering that we came here several times. The queue outside the door is proof enough of how famous this kabab is. Nowadays, it is essential to be 100% certain about the quality of the meat. That is the case at this place. When you are near the Tajrish district, I recommend the restaurant Shemroon Kabab, which is simple and good.
If you are looking for a restaurant in Germany with good Chelo Kabab, I recommend Babam in Frankfurt. In the city of Darmstadt, I am a big fan of the Restaurant Shiraz and Djadoo, as all the dishes tastes great here.
PERSIAN KABAB VERSIONS
People eat a lot of meat in Iran, so you find on every corner a Kababforoosh, lovingly called KABABI. We have varieties of Kababs, starting with Kabab Koobideh – Grilled Minced Meat Kabab کباک کوبیده, Kabab Looleh, Kabab Tabei Morgh – Easy Pan Chicken Kebab کباب تابه ای مرغ , Kabab Barg, Kabab Torsch, Kabab Tschendje, Kabab Soltani, Kabab Bakhtiari, Kabab Seekhi, Djudje Kabab, Shishlik Kabab, Kabab Tabei (from the pan), Kabab Tabei Morgh – Easy Pan Chicken Kebab کباب تابه ای مرغ, Djigar (grilled liver) up to Mahi Kabab (fish on a skewer), Kabab-e Sabzijat – vegan Kebabs, Balal Kababi (grilled cobs) and much more. Each has a great and unique taste on its own. Try your way through these culinary delights.
TIPS FOR THE PERFECT KABAB KOOBIDEH
Choose freshly prepared minced meat. Frozen minced meat is not suitable for Kabab Koobideh.
Grate the onions finely.
Squeeze out the onion water properly before adding the finely grated onions to the meat.
Never use turmeric to season the meat. Salt and pepper are the only spices to use.
Knead the minced meat well in a bowl and be sure it has a smooth texture. To test this, you should lift the minced meat without pieces coming off. Thus, knead, knead, and continue to knead.
Knead the piece of minced meat you want to apply to your skewer in your hand again before you place it on the skewer.
The minced meat should be about 1 cm thick and pressed tightly around the skewer to cook it all the way through. With wet hands, press the minced meat firmly around the skewer.
Once the meat is on the skewer, let it rest in the fridge for 2 hours.
Your charcoal should be hot, glowing red, and covered with ashes.
While grilling, turn the meat quickly to prevent it from falling off the skewers.
LECKERES FÜR JEDEN TAG
Every first Sunday of the month, it’s time for the blog event “Leckeres für jeden Tag”. This month, our food blog party is all about grilling. Anyone can grill sausages! Be inspired by our creative grill ideas in German.
Gabi von USA kulinarisch mit Dr Pepper Barbecue-Sauce
Tina von Küchenmomente mit Focaccia Garden
Simone von zimtkringel mit Marinierte Nackenkoteletts
Kathrina von Küchentraum & Purzelbaum mit Monkey Bread Muffins
Jill von Kleines Kuliversum mit Rhabarber BBQ Sosse
Volker von Volkermampft mit Garten-Focaccia – einfaches Rezept mit wenig Hefe und viel Zeit
Silke von Blackforestkitchen mit Antipasti vom Grill
Sylvia von Brotwein mit Burger Brötchen Rezept – Buns selber machen
Tanja von Liebe&Kochen mit Gegrillter Halloumi mit Parmesan Polenta und Tomatenragout
INGREDIENTS FOR KABAB KOOBIDEH
500 g minced lamb meat from the rib
500 g minced veal from the shoulder
250 g grated onions
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
PREPARATION KABAB KOOBIDEH
Let your butcher pass the meat through the mincer 2 – 3 times.
Place the minced meat in the fridge for a few hours to chill it properly.
Grate the onions finely and strain the onion water out through a sieve with a spoon. Pour away the extracted onion juice. Now place the onions in the refrigerator to keep them chilled.
Once the meat and onions are chilled, for at least 2 hours. Add onions, salt, and pepper, and mix everything well.
Use your hands to knead minced meat well until you have a smooth texture. So keep kneading, kneading, and kneading.
Place the skewers on a large tray. Also, place a bowl of cold water right next to it.
Wet your hands and take a large piece of the minced meat, knead it in a round shape in your hand, and place it tightly around the center of the skewer. Press your hands while you open and close it, and press the meat around the skewer. Leave the skewer empty at the top and bottom.
Spread the minced meat about 1 cm thick on the skewer, and press 1 cm wide patterns into it with your pointing finger and thumb. Now press the ends tightly with some water.
Place the prepared skewer on a tray until all are prepared. Be sure the minced meat doesn’t touch the tray, so the plate should have a high edge. A high baking tray is also suitable for this. Place the prepared Kababs in the fridge.
As soon as the charcoals are covered with white ash and the coals glow red, place the chilled skewers one by one on the mangal (Persian grill).
Start turning the skewers from time to time. After about 4 – 5 min. Kabab Koobideh is ready to put in the lavash bread until all skewers are ready.
Serve with Rice, grilled tomatoes, Sumac and fresh herbs.
BEFARMAYID!
Susan
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Kabab Koobideh - grilled minced meat Kabobs کباب کوبیده
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS FOR KABAB KOOBIDEH
- 500 g minced lamb meat from the rib
- 500 g minced veal from the shoulder
- 250 g grated onions
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
PREPARATION KABAB KOOBIDEH
-
Let your butcher pass the meat through the mincer 2 - 3 times.
-
Place the minced meat in the fridge for a few hours to chill it properly.
-
Grate the onions finely and strain the onion water out through a sieve with a spoon. Pour away the extracted onion juice. Now place the onions in the refrigerator to keep them chilled.
-
Once the meat and onions are chilled, for at least 2 hours. Add onions, salt, and pepper, and mix everything well.
-
Use your hands to knead minced meat well until you have a smooth texture. So keep kneading, kneading, and kneading.
-
Place the skewers on a large tray. Also, place a bowl of cold water right next to it.
-
Wet your hands and take a large piece of the minced meat, knead it in a round shape in your hand, and place it tightly around the center of the skewer. Press your hands while you open and close it, and press the meat around the skewer. Leave the skewer empty at the top and bottom.
-
Spread the minced meat about 1 cm thick on the skewer, and press 1 cm wide patterns into it with your pointing finger and thumb. Now press the ends tightly with some water.
-
Place the prepared skewer on a tray until all are prepared. Be sure the minced meat doesn't touch the tray, so the plate should have a high edge. A high baking tray is also suitable for this. Place the prepared Kababs in the fridge.
-
As soon as the charcoals are covered with white ash and the coals glow red, place the chilled skewers one by one on the mangal (Persian grill).
-
Start turning the skewers from time to time. After about 4 - 5 min. Kabab Koobideh is ready to put in the lavash bread until all skewers are ready.
Recipe Notes
Serve with Rice, grilled tomatoes, Sumac and fresh herbs.
Save the recipe for later on Pinterest!
Have you cooked this or maybe another delicious recipe of mine? Feel free to leave me a comment below. If you tag your picture on Instagram with @labsalliebe and use the hashtag #labsalliebe, I won’t miss a post and will be happy to leave you a comment as well. Can’t wait to see your creations.
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