Sweet + Sour Kabab

Name: Sweet + Sour Kabab (Kabab-e Torsh)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Makes 6 skewers, serves 4
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: ¼ cup/60 ml oil; ½ teaspoon dried chochaq (optional); 2 lb/900 g skinless and boneless chicken thighs, or lamb or beef tenderloin cut into 2½in/6 cm chunks; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 4 cloves garlic, peeled; 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro; 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 1 large onion, peeled and quartered; ¼ cup/55 g butter or ¼ cup/60 ml oil; 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt; ¼ cup/60 ml fresh lime juice; 1 teaspoon ground Persian hogweed seeds/golpar; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 2 cups/480 ml pomegranate juice; 1 cup/125 g walnuts; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 6 flat, ½ in/1 cm-wide sword-like skewers; 1 cup/100 g chopped spring onions; 1 teaspoon Persian hogweed seeds/golpar; 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves; ½ cup/75 g pomegranate arils; 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves; ½ teaspoon dried khalvash (optional)

Kabab-e Torsh

Preparation info

Makes 6 skewers, serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
35 min

Appears in

Cooking in Iran

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2020

About

My cousins Naz and Raz took us to the Lotfi Restaurant in Chaboksar near Ramsar (photo on the facing page). I had the best sweet and sour kabab there. They served it with an eggplant/miraza qasemi side dish and golden crusted rice/polow ba tah-dig.

Ingredients

Meat

2 lb/900 g skinless and boneless chicken thighs, or lamb or beef tenderloin cut into 2½in/6 cm chunks

Asia
Iran
Chaboksar
Main course
Gluten-free

Method

For the marinade: Place all the ingredients for the marinade in a food processor and pulse until you have a grainy mixture. Place the chicken in a non-reactive container or bowl and pour the marinade over it. Toss well, then cover (using plastic wrap if your container doesn’t have a lid) and allow the chicken to marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours and up t