Persian Sumac Rice with Kebab
Ingredients
- 300 grams ground beef
- 2 medium onions
- salt
- black pepper
- sumac
- garlic powder
- juice of one fresh lemon
- brewed saffron
- melted butter
- 3 cups rice
- 2 tablespoons sumac (for rice)
- tomatoes
- green peppers
- basil for garnish
Preparation
Grate the onion finely and squeeze out all the juice, setting the juice aside.
Mix the ground meat with the grated onion (after squeezing out juice), salt, black pepper, sumac, and garlic powder, knead well, and refrigerate for half an hour.
Spread the meat mixture evenly in a non-greased pan and score lines on it with a spatula.
Mix the reserved onion juice with melted butter, lemon juice, and brewed saffron, then pour over the meat in the pan.
Cover the pan and cook on medium heat.
Meanwhile, prepare the sumac rice: Boil the rice until half-cooked, drain it, line the bottom of a pot with tahdig material, add layers of rice sprinkled with sumac to taste, and repeat until all rice is used.
Pour brewed saffron and a mixture of water and butter over the rice, then steam it until done.
Once the kebab's liquid is absorbed, add oil to the pan and fry until one side is browned.
Flip the kebab, arrange tomatoes and green peppers around it, sprinkle salt and sumac on the tomatoes, cover, reduce heat, and cook until everything is fried.
Serve the kebab and rice together with fresh basil.
Tips
This method creates a flavorful kebab that is a traditional Iranian dish.
Using fresh basil for garnish enhances the taste significantly.
