Persian Recipes For A Cookout

|July 27, 2022

Nothing pairs quite like summer and the grill. Treat yourself, your family, and your friends to another unbeatable pairing – delicious chicken kabobs with a refreshing side salad. Follow these Persian Recipes for a cookout that will not be forgotten.

Chickpea Salad Shirazi

Makes 4 servings, preparation time 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup dried chickpeas, or a 12-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 inch fresh ginger root, grated

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1 lime

1 small onion, peeled and finely diced

1 large tomato, diced

1 large cucumber, diced

2 cups fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

Directions:

  1. If using dried chickpeas, place them in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil, and immediately drain. Return the chickpeas to the saucepan, add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 1.5 hours. Drain and set aside. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse and go to step 2.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper and sautè for 2 minutes.
  3. Mix with the chickpeas, onion, tomato, cucumber, and parsley or cilantro. Stir well, transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil with lime juice on top and serve.

Chicken Kabob (Jujeh Kabab)

Makes 6-8 servings, preparation time 10 minutes plus marination time and 15 minutes of cook time

Ingredients:

Marinade-

1/4 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water

Zest of 2 limes

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup olive oil

2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1/2 cup whole plain yogurt

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Chicken-

6 pounds of chicken drumettes or 4 pounds boneless chicken thighs cut into 2-inch pieces

Directions:

  1. In a 4-quart nonreactive container with cover, combine all the ingredients for the marination. Beat well with a fork. Add the chicken and toss well. Cover and marinate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Turn the chicken twice during this period.
  2. Start a bed of charcoal 30 minutes before you want to cook and let it burn until the coals glow evenly. Keep in mind that the success of a good kabob depends on a very hot grill.
  3. Spear wings, breasts, and legs onto different skewers as they require different cooking times.
  4. Grill the chicken 8 to 15 minutes, turning frequently until done. The chicken is done when the juice that runs out is yellow rather than pink.
  5. Remove the chicken from the grill. Keep chicken on the skewers until just before serving to keep it warm.

Nush-e-jan!