Chelow Kabab or Kabab Koobideh

4 Servings

500 grams ground lamb or beef

2 large onions (grated)

1 large egg (beaten)
(my mum makes it without egg)

4 medium tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon sumac (optional)

Directions:

Mix meat, onions, egg, salt and pepper well and leave in the refrigerator overnight (or for several hours (or you can also make it right away, if you don't have much time or you forgot)).

Press the meat around long, thick metal skewers and shape evenly. Thread whole tomatoes on another skewer. Barbeque each side for about five minutes, turning frequently. If skewers are not available or barbequing is not possible, kabab-e koobideh can be shaped into long, thin portions on aluminum foil and grilled at high temperature in the oven. The oven should be pre-heated and the kabab should be placed as high as possible near the source of the heat. The tomatoes can be fried in a pan on the stove.

Serve with hot Polow (Chelow) or on middle-eastern bread. If serving with rice, some sumac may be sprinkled on top. If the kabab was made in an oven, the juice from the kabab can be poured on rice or bread.

(In my family we always put an egg yolk on the rice as well as a little bit of butter and then we put a little bit of rice on top before we serve it)