CHELO KEBAB PERSION DELIGHT FROM THE TIMES OF THE MAHABHARATA BY SOUMYASHREE CHATTERJEE

IMAGE CREDIT: SOUVIK DAS GUPTA SO

One of the standout restaurants on Park Street in Kolkata is synonymous with a Persian dish. From the time I stumbled upon this heaven, no other dish of that restaurant has ever made sense for me. Even as I sit to write about it now, my taste buds tingle at the visual extravaganza of butter melting onto rice, a red grilled tomato, skewers of kebab and a sunny side up poached egg. Yes chelo kebab conceived in the kitchens of Persia is a heavenly concoction that leaves you with a foodgasm even today.

Chelo or chelow kebab is a meal in itself consisting of steamed basmati or Persian rice that has been saffroned, along with a side of kebab skewers.  A dash of butter is often added. In fact the name chelo kebab comes from the word cello in Persian meaning rice. In some parts of Iran particularly the regions of Tabriz, a raw egg yolk was put as a garnishing. Nayeb Chelo Kebab restaurant in Teheran is probably the oldest such restaurant being about 120 years in the tradition of serving this dish. In the bazaar tradition, the rice and accompaniments like grilled tomatoes are first served. The waiter then brings skewers of kebab to the table and places it directly onto the rice and pressing it down with bread pulls out quickly leaving it in the plate. A kebab bargh and kebab koobideh were the choice of kebabs traditionally. A soltani kebab or that meant for the sultan would have a skewer each of both varieties.

Today this dish has migrated across the Arabian Sea and finds place of pride in various restaurants in india.  Typically a serving of chello has a portion of saffron rice, a roasted tomato, a cube of melting butter, a skewer of tikka and a skewer of suti to make up the dish. Every restaurant claims its own special spices for making this, but what’s most important is the absolute fantastic blend when the bland rice is had with the spicy kebabs.

What we will try today in our attempt to make a chello kebab is our version of setting up this simple yet delectable meal. There are two specific elements of the dish and we will work on them accordingly. The basic ingredients we need are: 

For the Chelo:

• Basmati rice 1 and ½ cup
• Salt 2 tea spoons
• Unsalted butter, melted and divided 3 tablespoons
• Olive oil 1 table spoon
• Zaffran (saffron) threads ¼ teaspoon (crushed)
• Green onions 2 tablespoons chopped
• Fresh Pudina (mint) 2 tablespoons chopped
• Fresh Dhaniya (cilantro) 2 tablespoons chopped
• Lemon 1 cut into 6 wedges 

For the Kebab:

• Onions 2 large (coarsely chopped)
• Garlic cloves 2 (finely chopped)
• Lemon juice 3 tablespoons
• Olive oil 3 tablespoons
• Salt ¼ teaspoon
• Black pepper ¼ teaspoons freshly ground
• Boneless leg of lamb 500 gms
• Grape tomatoes 18
• Cooking spray
• We would be needing a grill to be able to cook the kebabs.

The preparation of the cook starts a day ahead of the cook. The lamb boneless portion si first washed and trimmed properly and then made into cubes of about 1 inch. The onions and garlic set aside for the kebab is then made into a puree using a food processor. To this puree, add lemon juice, salt to taste, pepper and 3 table spoons of olive oil. This is now thoroughly mixed and used to marinate the lamb cubes. This mixture is now placed in a Ziploc bag and left to marinate overnight, a minimum of 8 hours to marinate properly so as to tenderize and flavor the meat. After the requisite time we are ready to grill the lamb. To prepare the chelo, rinse rice in warm water. Now bring a skillet with about 6 cups of water and dash of salt to taste to boil in a skillet. Add the rice to this and cook 5 to 7 minutes without covering it. Stir occasionally. Once done, drain the rice through a sieve reserving both the rice and the cooking liquid. We are now ready to cook the individual elements and bring them together.

Pre heat the grill to medium heat for about 3 minutes. Now remove the lamb from the bag discarding the marinade. Use skewers to thread the cubes. You can intersperse them with pieces of capsicum and onions. Similarly skewer the tomatoes. Spray the grill with cooking spray and place the skewers in the racks. Grill the tomatoes for 4 to 5 minutes and the lamb for 10 to 12 minutes at least. Turn the skewers occasionally so as to ensure even grilling and prevent excessive charring on one side. Remove from grill and set aside. While the skewers are grilling, take a skillet and add 1 table spoon oil, 2 table spoons melted butter and 2 tablespoons of the reserved rice cooking liquid over a high heat. Add the saffron to this. Now add the reserved rice and mix coating the rice with mixture evenly. Drizzle the remaining butter over the rice. Now cover the rice and cook over a high flame for 3 to 4 minutes followed by about 15 minutes on a low flame. Once the rice starts browning at the bottom and becomes tender on top we are ready.

To combine the dish, add about ½ cup rice on each plate; add a cube of molten butter in the centre of the rice. Place grilled tomatoes on the head of the rice. Remove the lamb from the skewers and place on either side for aesthetics of plating. You can add a sunny side up poached egg on this for greater effect and taste and you are ready with a soltani chelo kebab. Bon appétit.