Kabab Tabei: Pan-Cooked Kofte Kababs

These Persian kofte kababs can be cooked anytime of the year with no need for a BBQ or skewers. They are easy to make and retain all the juiciness you expect from a kebab.

What is Kabab Tabei?
If you have eaten at a Persian restaurant, then you will be familiar with Kabab Koobideh. The long metal skewers of minced lamb cooked to juicy perfection over a charcoal flame. Kabab Tabei is the easy version, cooked in a pan with no skewers required, and accompanied with a side of roasted tomatoes.

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Course: Mains

Ingredients:
• 500 g lamb or beef mince (approx. 20% fat)
• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/8 tsp ground saffron (bloomed in 2 tbsp of water)
• 1 tsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 2 tsp sumac
• 500 g small or cherry tomatoes (on the vine)
• Drizzle of olive oil (for the cherry tomatoes)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

To make:
1) Place mince in a mixing bowl. Grate onion and squeeze most of the juice out. This will ensure the kebab does not fall apart when cooking but will tenderise the meat and be juicy once cooked.
2) Add grated onion, garlic, turmeric, saffron water, tomato purée, salt and pepper to the bowl with mince. Knead mixture well for a few minutes. Cover bowl and leave in fridge for no less than 4 hrs but preferably overnight. Take meat mixture out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to cook it.
3) Heat oven to 180°C (fan oven). Place tomatoes on a baking dish and drizzle olive oil over them. Season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes.
4) Shape meat mixture into patties of your choice. I shape them into an oval shape about the length and width of my hand (they will shrink a little while cooking).
5) Coat a frying pan with oil and place over medium-high heat. After 2 minutes, place kebabs in a pan. Sprinkle some sumac on the uncooked side and wait until the meat releases water and the water dries out in the pan before flipping. Sprinkle sumac on the cooked side. Wait until kebabs release further water and it is cooked off. Turn off heat.
6) Serve kebabs with the roasted tomatoes and rice or bread.

Originally created by Mersedeh Prewer for Saffron and Herbs.