Chenjeh Kebab

Chenjeh kebab is made from cubes of lamb leg marinated in onion, yoghurt and saffron, then grilled over charcoal.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 12h 25m
Cook: 15 min
Total: 12 hours 40 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
6 people
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

  • 1kg boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 3cm cubes
  • 2 large onions, finely grated
  • 4 tbsp full-fat plain yoghurt
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp saffron threads, ground and steeped in 3 tbsp hot water
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • To serve:
  • 6 tomatoes, for grilling
  • 30g butter, melted
  • Chelo (Persian steamed rice)

Method

  1. Mix the grated onion with the yoghurt, olive oil, saffron water, salt, pepper and turmeric. Add the lamb and coat well. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 12-24 hours.

  2. Bring the lamb to room temperature for 30 minutes and thread onto skewers, leaving a little space between the pieces.

  3. Grill over medium-hot coals or under a hot grill for 10-12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes, until browned outside and just cooked through.

  4. Grill the tomatoes alongside. Brush the kebabs with melted butter, rest for 3 minutes and serve with chelo.