Beaten Barbecue Bedar Saffron Recipe is the original English title for a saffron koobideh kebab made for Sizdah Bedar, Iran’s outdoor celebration on the thirteenth day of Nowruz. The method uses minced lamb, or a lamb-and-beef mixture, with squeezed onion and saffron to make kebabs that hold firmly on wide skewers.

Saffron koobideh kebabs for Sizdah Bedar with grilled tomatoes and herbs

Sizdah Bedar Koobideh Kebab

Koobideh is well suited to a picnic grill, but it rewards preparation at home. The onion must be drained, the meat needs thorough kneading, and the shaped kebabs should meet steady heat rather than open flames. Those details do more to keep the meat on the skewer than adding egg.

Preparation: 30 minutes
Chilling: 2–3 hours
Cooking: 10–15 minutes
Serves: 6–8

Ingredients

  • 1 kg minced meat: lamb, or equal parts lamb and beef
  • 300 g onion, about 1 large onion
  • 1 teaspoon finely ground saffron
  • 2 tablespoons boiling water
  • 1½ teaspoons fine salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Cold water, for wetting your hands
  • Tomatoes and green peppers, for grilling
  • Flatbread, radishes, fresh herbs and doogh, for serving

For a stronger colour and cleaner flavour, make a concentrated infusion and let it cool before adding it to the meat. See our guide to brewing saffron if you have not prepared it this way before.

Choose the Meat

Minced lamb has the fat and tenderness traditionally associated with koobideh. A half-lamb, half-beef mixture also works and gives the kebab a fuller texture. Very lean beef on its own is harder to keep juicy and can separate on the skewer.

Ask for the meat to be passed through the grinder twice, or mince it again at home. The original recipe called for four passes, but repeated grinding is less important than using cold meat with enough fat and kneading it until the mixture becomes cohesive.

Prepare the Koobideh Mixture

  1. Grate the onion into a bowl. Gather it in a clean cloth or fine sieve and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
  2. Bloom the ground saffron in the boiling water. Leave it to cool completely.
  3. Combine the cold minced meat, drained onion, saffron infusion, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
  4. Knead firmly for 8–10 minutes. The mixture is ready when it feels sticky, holds together and can be lifted in one mass without crumbling.
  5. Cover and refrigerate for 2–3 hours. Keep the meat cold until it is time to shape the kebabs.

Too much onion, or onion that still carries a lot of water, loosens the mixture. That is a common reason koobideh falls from the skewer. Egg is not necessary when the onion is properly drained and the chilled meat has been kneaded well.

Shape the Kebab on Wide Skewers

Use flat metal koobideh skewers rather than narrow round ones. Set a bowl of cold water beside you and wet your hand lightly before handling each portion.

  1. Take 120–150 g of the mixture and form it into a thick cylinder around the middle of a skewer.
  2. Press the meat evenly along the skewer, leaving both ends clear. It should have an even thickness from top to bottom.
  3. Make shallow ridges across the meat with your fingers. Pinch the top and bottom firmly against the skewer so the ends are sealed.
  4. Rest each prepared skewer across a tray without letting the meat touch the base.

Cook over Charcoal

Light the grill and wait until the charcoal is glowing and covered with a light layer of ash. Avoid lighter fluid or other fuel that can leave an odour on the food. There should be strong, even heat but no active flames reaching the kebabs.

Lay the skewers close to the coals. Turn them every few seconds during the first minute so both sides set before either side becomes heavy enough to pull away. Once the surface has firmed, continue turning at a calmer pace until the meat is browned and cooked through.

Ground beef and lamb should reach 71°C/160°F at the centre, according to the official FoodSafety.gov temperature chart. Check a thick section without touching the metal skewer. Grill tomatoes and green peppers separately while the meat cooks.

Serve the Sizdah Bedar Kebab

Slide the kebabs from their skewers onto warm flatbread so the bread catches the juices. Add grilled tomatoes and peppers, radishes and a generous bundle of fresh herbs, especially basil. Cold doogh is the familiar picnic drink alongside it.

For a more formal meal, serve the saffron koobideh with steamed rice instead. Either presentation keeps the point of the original Sizdah Bedar recipe: a practical charcoal kebab made to share outdoors, with enough preparation done in advance that cooking at the picnic remains simple.