Chelo Kebab or Chelow Kebab is a Persian dish made with steamed saffron rice and kebabs. This version parboils the rice which then browns in a large pan, covered with a cloth, and steams with a little bit of butter to deliver a crispy, golden crust.
The lamb kebobs are marinated for hours to lock in flavor. The result is probably one of my favorite dishes I’ve made recently; it’s well worth the morning prep to have an amazing dinner!
Ingredients:
Kebab:
- 2 onions, very finely chopped (or pureed)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or pureed)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 18 grape tomatoes
- Cooking spray
Chelo:
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice
- 6 cups water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges