If (like me) you’re into trying new recipes, you should definitely give this one a whirl! It’s fairly different in flavour from Pakistani, Afghani or Lebanese BBQ. This dish is super simple to make and yet sooo flavourful.
The key with this recipe is to:
– use real saffron (not saffron flavoured powder)
– bloom the saffron to maximise the flavour
– marinate the chicken overnight so that it soaks up that beautiful saffron aroma
Persian Saffron Chicken (Joojeh Kabab)
Course: MainCuisine: PersianDifficulty: EasyServings
4
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
30
minutesTotal time
1
hourIngredients
1kg boneless chicken thighs
½ tsp ground saffron
1 large onion (sliced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tbsp lemon juice
⅓ cup yogurt
1 tbsp oil
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp red chilli flakes
Directions
- Bloom the saffron: grind the saffron threads using a mortar and pestle. Dissolve the ground saffron in 2 tbsp of hot water and set aside to “bloom” for ~15 minutes.
- In a large bowl mix yogurt, sliced onion, oil, lemon juice and saffron, and spices.
- Cut the chicken into strips or 1″ cubes.
- Place the chicken in the marinade and stir well.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
- Take out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking so that it comes to room temperature.
- Thread the chicken pieces onto bamboo skewers.
- Prepare the charcoal grill and cook the chicken on both sides until they are golden brown on the outside and cooked through inside.
- Serve with Persian rice or naan and dill yogurt.
Notes
- You could alternatively bake the skewers in the oven @ 180C for 20-25 minutes and grill for an additional 5-10 minutes to give the chicken a bit of colour.
