This recipe for cooking Negini kebab and roll with Iranian saffron turns seasoned beef and mutton into two distinctive skewers: jewel-like Negini kebab with pieces of chicken, and thin saffron chicken wrapped around the minced-meat mixture.

Negini kebab skewers and saffron chicken rolls with grilled tomatoes
Negini kebab and saffron chicken rolls served with grilled tomatoes, rice and flatbread.

Negini kebab is also searched for as kebab Negini, kabab Negini and Negin kebab. Negin means jewel, a reference to the small pieces of chicken set into the darker minced meat. This recipe prepares that style and a rolled version from the same saffron-scented ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 350 g beef
  • 350 g mutton
  • 4 chicken breast fillets
  • 2 medium onions
  • 2 tablespoons concentrated brewed saffron, divided
  • 1 egg
  • Lemon juice, to taste
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • A small amount of olive oil or neutral cooking oil for the chicken
  • Optional nutmeg or your preferred kebab spice blend

Keep the saffron infusion concentrated and let it cool before it touches the meat. Prepare the raw chicken separately from the beef-and-mutton mixture, washing your hands, knife and board before using them for anything else.

Make the minced-meat kebab mixture

  1. Peel and finely grate the onions.
  2. Press the grated onion through a strainer or clean cloth to remove its juice. Retain the drained pulp.
  3. Finely mince or grind the beef and mutton, then place them in a large bowl.
  4. Add the drained onion, egg, 1 tablespoon brewed saffron, salt and black pepper. Add a small pinch of nutmeg or kebab spice only if you enjoy it.
  5. Knead thoroughly until the mixture becomes uniform, sticky and able to hold its shape.
  6. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

The rest allows the mixture to firm and the seasonings to settle. Draining the onion is just as important: excess liquid can loosen the meat and make it pull away from the skewer.

Prepare the chicken for rolls and Negini kebab

Set aside roughly one third of the chicken for the rolls. Slice this portion horizontally into broad, thin sheets. Depending on the size of each breast, it should yield two or three slices. Place the pieces between sheets of baking paper and pound them gently to an even thickness, as you would for schnitzel. Do not tear them.

Cut the remaining chicken into small, neat pieces for the Negini skewers. The pieces need to be large enough to remain visible but small enough to sit securely inside the minced meat.

Place both cuts of chicken in a non-reactive bowl. Add a little oil, the remaining tablespoon of brewed saffron, lemon juice, salt, pepper and any optional spice. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Do not reuse the raw marinade as a serving sauce.

Shape the saffron chicken rolls

  1. Lay one thin chicken sheet flat on the work surface.
  2. Shape a modest amount of the chilled beef-and-mutton mixture into a narrow log and place it across the centre.
  3. Wrap the chicken snugly around the filling, keeping the meat enclosed.
  4. If an end will not stay closed, secure it with a small wooden toothpick.
  5. Thread the roll carefully onto a skewer and repeat with the remaining thin chicken sheets.

Make the rolls similar in thickness so they finish cooking at roughly the same time. Remember to remove every toothpick before serving.

Shape the Negini kebab skewers

Press a portion of the remaining minced-meat mixture evenly around a wide skewer, as for koobideh. Make several shallow spaces along one face with a fingertip. Place a piece of saffron-marinated chicken into each space, then press the surrounding meat gently against its edges so it is held securely.

Only one face needs the chicken pattern described in the original method. Leave a little minced meat between the pieces instead of covering the skewer completely with chicken. This alternating surface gives kebab Negini its recognisable gem-like appearance.

Cook over charcoal

Prepare an even bed of glowing charcoal and wait until strong flames have subsided. The chicken rolls need controlled, gentler heat because the outside can colour before the meat filling is ready. The Negini skewers can begin over a hotter area to set the minced meat, then move to moderate heat so the chicken pieces cook without scorching.

Turn both styles frequently and evenly. The original recipe notes that the two shapes need different heat, so do not assume they will finish together. Lightly brushing the surface with melted butter near the end is optional.

Oven method

Negini kebab can also be cooked in the oven. Arrange the skewers on a rack above a lined tray so hot air can move around them, and turn them when the first side has set. The chicken rolls may be cooked the same way, provided their filled centres are checked before serving.

Ovens, skewer thickness and meat portions vary, so a universal cooking time would be misleading. Use browning as a texture cue, not as proof that the mixed-meat centre is safe.

Check the kebabs are cooked safely

Because both versions combine poultry with beef and mutton, check the thickest part and use the higher poultry temperature. The USDA safe minimum temperature chart lists 165°F (74°C) for chicken and turkey. Insert the thermometer into the meat without touching the metal skewer.

Move a cooked skewer onto a clean platter, never the tray that held the raw kebabs. Rest briefly, then slide the meat off carefully.

Serve Negini kebab and the chicken rolls

Serve the kebabs hot with fresh bread or pilaf, grilled tomatoes and a plate of fresh herbs. Doogh, the yogurt drink sometimes translated as buttermilk, is a traditional accompaniment. A restrained spoonful of melted butter adds richness, but the saffron and grilled meat should remain the main flavours.

The best result has three clear textures: cohesive minced meat, juicy chicken pieces on the Negini skewers and a thin chicken layer enclosing the rolled kebab. Keeping the preparations separate until shaping, then adjusting the heat for each style, makes that possible.