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Persian Chicken Kebabs with Saffron Rice

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Persian chicken kabobs

As much as the cold and dark have challenged me this winter I believe I am clinging to it as much as it has clung to me. Change and transition don’t come to me easily and yet here we are, speeding toward spring with all of its wonders and promise, Carnival, king cakes, Passover, spring rituals. As my head turns toward spring am I mirthfully and secretly gleeful that winter’s grip is still strong? That I can hide under my coat’s hood and crawl further inside myself as I muster all my strength just to get to the subway in the morning–pushed on by my own willful and stubborn refusal to capitulate in the face of another dismal and cold winter day? It means I can wallow in the frigid cold and stay hunkered down, surviving, even hiding in winter’s cold grip.riverside park

Am I afraid to come come back into bloom? To celebrate life and everything the world-with its traditions and surprises-has to offer? To go away on the weekends, explore the beauty of the woods, to awake from my hibernation, my “at least there’s skiing and fires” consolation? The ice is about to melt and the rapids are being unleashed. Am I ready? To let go of the constant testing of my strength and fortitude, the battle with the sloth that hangs heavily and warmly around my neck? There’s still time to hide, but also ways to transition slowly into renewal.

I come alive in the spring and summer. A more fully realized version of myself. I suspect this hesitation has something to do with commitment. I get this same feeling right before I embark on reading a book from a favorite author, before resuming a TV series with which I’ve been smitten, before I commit to the Mets once again with an eye on spring training (though with the Mets I know there will be disappointment) or before I travel. A great journey lies ahead and I need to be prepared for it. To be fully in the moment, to be taken once again with the beauties and intricacies that make life a joy.

And so, I’ve adapted and recreated a hopeful meal from The Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies by Najmieh Batmanglij. This Persian cookbook is an amazing ode to Iranian culture, life and living and all the magical things that keep us going and renew us.Persian(ish) rice

There’s a ton of citrus and acid in these kebabs to awaken the senses–, lime, mint, tomatoes and sumac cut only by the earthiness in the spices, saffron and turmeric and the coolness of the yogurt. I threw in some mint leaves for good measure. This meal is overloaded with flavor and then charred. I took liberties to make this manageable on a weeknight and served it over (Persian-esque?) rice and kale. One day I’ll find the time to make bread or naan or actual Persian rice. But until then, I do what I can.lime zest for kebabs

Also, one last thing! I’ve been invited to a virtual fiesta. Over at the Novice Gardener there’s a pot luck fiesta going on every Friday. I’ve decided to bring this dish and mingle with the most talented community of cooks I know! I hear she’ll be serving some killer beignets.spices

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Chicken Kebab (Jujeh kebab)

Ingredients:

For the chicken and marinade:

  • 1 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
  •  juice of one fresh lime
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled, and crushed
  • zest of 2 fresh limes
  • 3 oz yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground sumac
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric
  • 1 pound boneless chicken breast cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
  • 20 cherry tomatoes
  • 6 flat, swordlike skewers

To serve:

  • 1 cup rice (I used arborio, but I think jasmine or long grain or basmati would be best)
  • 2 limes, cut in half
  • Parsley sprigs
  • mint leaves
  • a dusting of sumac

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For the kale

  • one head of kale
  • juice of one lemon

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For the rice:

  • 1 cup of rice
  • 2 cups of water
  • pinch of saffron
  • cumin (optional)
  • turmeric (optional)
  • one onion chopped
  • salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • mint leaves for garnish
  • almonds for garnish
  • figs or dates chopped for garnish
  • sumac powder for garnish

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Directions:

For the chicken:

In a large bowl, combine half the saffron water and the lime juice, olive oil, onions, garlic, lime zest, yogurt, salt, spices and pepper. Beat well with a fork. Add the pieces of chicken and toss well with marinade. Cover and marinate for as long as possible, up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Turn the chicken twice during this period.

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Skewer the tomatoes. Spear the chicken onto different skewers and bake for 40 minutes.

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To serve:

Spread the cooked kale on a platter.  Remove the grilled chicken from skewers and arrange the pieces on the kale (or bread or rice). Garnish with lime juice and sprigs of parsley or mint.

For the kale:

Put kale into a shallow pan. Cover with 1/8 cup water and the juice of one lemon or lime. Saute on low heat until leaves begin to wilt. Turn off heat and cover. You are essentially steaming it after the initial saute. Serve.

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For the rice:

Add the butter into a medium sauce pan on medium flame. Saute the onion in the butter for about five minutes until brown. Pour the the rice into the pan. Begin incrementally adding the water one ladle at a time. Wait to add another ladle until the liquid has been almost completely absorbed by the rice. This gradual addition of liquid is key to getting the rice to release its starch and create its own delicious sauce, so don’t rush this step. Ideally, you want to use just enough broth to cook the rice and no more.

Begin tasting the rice after about 12 minutes to gauge how far it has cooked. Add salt and saffron or even a touch of cumin or turmeric as needed or desired. The risotto is ready when the rice is al dente (when it still has a bit of chew) and the dish has the consistency of thick porridge. If you run your spatula through the risotto, the risotto flow slowly to fill in the space. To serve, top with dates or figs, mint leaves, almonds and sumac.

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hudson river

battery park

Even the Statue of Liberty keeps her head held high in the distance.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Sofia // Papaya Pieces

    Thanks for sharing your lovely photos, yes spring sort of starts a renewed cycle in all of us. What a gorgeous recipe, I’ve been to Iran and ate the most delicious kababs like this there, so utterly perfectly spiced. I’ll be taking a peek here when I want to make it myself 🙂

    • Amanda

      How amazing that must have been. I can only imagine what they would taste like over the charcoal that the original recipe called for. Yes, the spice on these is very difficult to describe. I think the most fun part of cooking for me is sitting down and being absolutely shocked at how amazing something tastes. I don’t taste while cooking so i put my blind trust in the recipe and the region. And this dish was one of those “wow!” moments.

    • Amanda

      Thanks, Shanna. Good Pesach to you too. It’s a tough one. I hope you’ve got some good recipes coming up. I”m a huge fan of matzoh brie. Saffron to me is like liquid gold. And figs are like symbols of life to me. This dish really took a lot of effort, but it gave so much back. Thanks for stopping by.

  7. The Novice Gardener

    Amanda, I was about to fall off the chair when I saw this. What a stunning dish! Your photos are absolutely gorgeous. Can’t say enough, hon! Thank you for bringing this to the fiesta. But you didn’t link your photo? If you go to FF6 post, there’s a “Click to join” button right above all the entries, and when you click it, it’ll bring you to a page where you can link your thumbnail photo. So happy and excited you decided to come! XOXO

    • Amanda

      Aww thanks so much. I really appreciate it coming from you! Thanks for the invite to the fiesta. I linked in and so me and my sundress and cowboy boots will be there with rice and kebabs. I hope your grill is warm. See you there!

  8. Stacey Bender

    What a romantic account of winter turns spring; so enchanting that I too wish for snow (some snow). As the sun trickles in the window, basking my pups in warmth, I feel the cool breeze and breath in the crisp air that reminds me we were lucky enough to miss the storm. Your photography is beautiful and the recipe will be duplicated here in the Pacific Northwest soon.

    • Amanda

      Thanks so much for reading, Stacy and for your lovely comment. I’m amazed that you missed out on the snow. There is something special about it, but I’m ready to let spring in now I think. Oh the Pacific Northwest sounds lovely. Pet your cute pups for me!

    • Amanda

      Thanks Trix! It’s rarely been sunny here at all this winter, but I snapped those photos on a day that was warm enough to be outside because the sun was shining. I’m sending some sun over to you too! Keep up the amazing baking!

  10. Jovina Coughlin

    What a great looking ( and I am sure tasting) meal you put together. Your photos are outstanding and make the dish look even more appetizing. I will have to make this recipe. I especially like the spices on the chicken and I can do mine on the grill. Looking forward to it.
    Jovina

  11. Johnny Hepburn

    Your kebabs do sound truly delicious. As yet I’ve never attempted to cook anything Persian. Living instead through Fig & Quince! One of these days – especially if I can find a cookery book in the local library. As I do have those spices, excepting sumac. Which, if I remember, I’ll look out for when at the International store next week. There’s always a list of spices I need.

    • Amanda

      Thanks so much, Johnny. This is a new recipe for me as well. I totally was inspired by Fig & Quince and Fae! They’re outrageous. I actually consulted both of them before I attempted the rice, but I gave up because they couldn’t give me a shortcut for true polou. I’ll have to work on it when I can. I hear you about the spices. I need nigella seeds, and fenugreek, kafir lime leaves and a whole bunch of other stuff. Going to check out what you’ve been up to right now!

    • Amanda

      Thanks for your comment, Cornelia. I love that you know her cookbooks. I actually sprung for this one because it looked like such a resource. Most of the recipes are not a weeknight meal, but they’re so thorough and delicious. I have so much I want to try from it! I actually just made the Yemenite Pan Barley Bread from Silk Road Cooking. I had no idea how easy it was! So good! Yes, this woman does not mess around. Oh how I’d love to peek into your kitchen. Your photography is stunning.

  16. Mad Dog

    That looks delicious – I’ve been getting some amazing Fizzy Kale from the farmer recently – it tastes quite savoury and has no bitterness 🙂

    • Amanda

      Thanks, MD. That kale sounds lovely. This is my first time using non-curly kale and I really liked it. It is a little less bitter and more like a spinach almost. It’s a lot more user-friendly 🙂

  18. Ngan R.

    Hello Amanda–what a delicious dish! I am a big fan of kebabs and think yours looks especially tasty. That rice has such a gorgeous color, too. Stay warm!

    • Amanda

      Thanks so much for your comment! These are tasty. You should try them! What I love about the rice so much was that the color is all from turmeric and saffron.

  21. Fae's Twist & Tango

    Amanda, The word ‘Persian’ got my attention. 😀 ))) – First, your chicken kababs look excellent and plated beautifully with kale. – I thought your gorgeous looking risotto was what we call ‘sholeh zard’, which is a Persian saffron pudding dessert, made with saffron and rosewater, topped with almonds, exactly how you have plated (without the savory tomatoes on the side). If you ever make Persian style rice, make sure you use only basmati, for success. You only need to make Persian rice one time, and you will pick-up the know-how. 😀

    • Amanda

      Thanks so much, dear Fae. I was a little scared for you and Azita to stop by, but now I’m relieved. I reached out to both of you about the rice, but I got intimidated and didn’t devote the time. I may have to make that lovely dessert. I kind of want to link to you guys because you inspire me so. I’m going to pick something manageable and do just that. I’m really on a kick now. Thank you so much for your advice and your compliments. I’m wondering if I got the cookbook from reading your post on favorite cookbooks. I definitely fell for your site that day and have been inspired ever since.

  22. Karen

    What a beautiful meal. I love the brightness of the colors and flavors you have going on. As I’m reading this post, it is snowing outside once again and your stunning photos of the dishes make me think of summer colors and warmth…even if it is only for a short while.

    • Amanda

      Thanks so much, Karen. Hang tight for spring. It’s 20f here with high winds. Crazy. Need warm dishes! On Mar 13, 2014 9:23 AM, “What's Cooking” wrote:

      >

    • Amanda

      I totally agree Mary Frances. I was hoping it would usher in the warmth. On Mar 13, 2014 5:06 PM, “What's Cooking” wrote:

      >

    • Amanda

      Thanks so much! I’m so glad I joined the fiesta. They were so so delicious. There are some pretty amazing dishes at fiesta friday, right?!

  29. theseasonedtraveler

    Wow, this is my kind of feast! Love ALL the spices and citrus you’ve used for the kebabs, and the saffron rice looks so moist and delicious too. I need to try this. I love your writing here and your photos continue to take my breath away, Amanda! You have such a unique eye for color and light and angle, I love to see each beautiful shot you take. xo -Laura

    • Amanda

      Thank you, Laura. Coming from you that means a lot. You and I do cook in similar styles. It’s cool to see what you have on deck!

  30. midihideaways

    Boy do I regret reading this post – I am so ravenous now, and it’s too late to go shopping for the ingredients for this dish. Looks divine and I bet it tastes every bit as good!!

    • Amanda

      Thanks so much. I know the feeling! I’m so behind on cooking so many wonderful recipes because I don’t have time to stock up on the ingredients! It’s gotta be a well-timed process!

  32. Joyti

    I really wish we would have had a winter, any winter, this year in my part of the world. I’d love to be hunkered down in it.

    The dish looks delicious.

  33. Hannah

    Amanda, my mouth is watering – your photos are lovely! I’m such a fan of Najmieh Batmanglij. What a delicious dish! The cusp of spring holds so much promise and excitement. This is a beautiful post. Happy almost-spring to you!

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