Cassie Stokes is a writer, producer and presenter at her.ie
This is my take on a Persian chicken shish kebab. I have a Persian uncle to thank for my obsession with Persian food, which is all about the best things in life - meat, rice, veg and fresh bread.
The best Persian food I’ve had in Dublin is in Passion 4 Food on Camden Street, or Zaytoon. And I know they are often frequented around 2am, or after a night at Coppers, but I have also been to eat in them during the day and can confirm the chicken shish kabob (kebabs as we call them) are just as satisfying and tasty by day.
My take is a healthy enough version, and I love making the garlic yoghurt at home because I can put in as much or as little dill and cucumber as I want. I’ve made this for family and they love it.
The main focus is the meat and the yoghurt, then I’ve added pita bread and rice, but you could also make it with a delicious salad. I also throw some cherry tomatoes on top because you can’t go wrong with cherry tomatoes. And sweet chilli, because I love it. Leaving the chicken to marinate overnight is best.
What you’ll need
Serves 2
2 chicken fillets, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
2 cloves of garlic
½ onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
Fresh coriander, as much as you like
¼ tbsp sweet chilli
100ml natural yoghurt
A few sprigs of dill, to your taste
¼ cucumber, diced
Half a clove of garlic
2 pita bread
To serve: rice
How to make it
1 Mix together the lemon, garlic, onion, some coriander and the chicken and leave to marinate for at least half an hour but overnight in the fridge is ideal.
2 When you are ready to cook, put a pan on a low to medium heat.
3 Season your chicken and add everything to the pan.
4 Leave it to cook, on a low heat, for about 15-20 mins or until it's all cooked through, stirring every now and again.
5 Meanwhile, cook your rice according to the packet instructions and get the yoghurt ready. Grate the garlic into the yoghurt and add the chopped dill and cucumber to taste. Mix well, season if needed.
6 Get your pita bread out and onto a nice plate. Add the cooked chicken to the plate along with the yoghurt, extra coriander, cherry tomatoes and sweet chilli sauce.
7 Serve with rice. And eat it pretending you've never ventured into a kebab place after one too many, and imagine this was the first kebab you ever tasted.
