This is Kabab Koobideh, a Persian dish, but this is actually a post about my encounter with Kabab Nazi. It’s a fun post because I put in some effort to write it, so I beg you to read on.
Once upon a time ago, I had a favorite joint for work lunch, a Persian buffet restaurant just a stone’s throw away from my office. I went there for the sole purpose of stuffing myself silly with their Kabab Koobideh (then I didn’t know the name so I referred the kabab as minced meat thingy). The thing about buffet is “ALL YOU CAN EAT,” so I would refill my plate at least 3 – 5 times (depends how hungry I was) just for the sinfully good kabab served at the restaurant. I went there religiously–at least once or twice a week–I couldn’t help it because I was addicted to the kabab.
One fine day, I went to the restaurant but Kabab Koobideh was nowhere to be found on the buffet table. Poof. Disappeared. Vanished. Gone.
Utterly confused (and hungry), I went up to the restaurant owner (AKA Kabab Nazi) and demanded an answer…
(Because of my regular visits and my insatiable appetite, I am sure Kabab Nazi had me blacklisted as a customer with negative LTV or lifetime value, meaning he would rather not have me as his customer! In fact, I recall him eyeballing me when I made frequent trips to the buffet table and loaded my plate full with kababs!)
“Hi, where is your minced meat thingy today?”
“Sorry, we no longer serve that for buffet. You can order it from our menu if you want.” Kabab Nazi replied, with an evil smirk on his face, I saw it.
The famed episode of Seinfeld’s The Soup Nazi (if you haven’t yet seen it, you should watch this funny clip!) was reeling in my head upon hearing his answer. “NO KABAB FOR YOU!“ echoed in my ears.
“Huh? You mean you no longer serve it on buffet, WHY? That’s the only reason I come here!”
“I’ve decided not to serve it for buffet anymore.” Another Dr. Evil smirk on Kabab Nazi’s face.
“Fine. Then I don’t want to eat here.”
I stormed out of the restaurant; I resolved not to go back again. Now people, this is not about money, it’s a matter of principle. HELLO! As a buffet restaurant, you just don’t stop serving your signature dish, do you? This is like an Indian buffet restaurant not serving tandoori chicken or Chinese buffet without egg rolls. This is absolutely wrong.
Many moons passed and I didn’t go back to the restaurant because I am sure that Kabab Nazi would sneer at me if he sees me crawling back for his kabab. I contained my craving; I tried not to walk past the restaurant; I told my colleagues “No thanks” when they wanted to go there; I stayed away.
And then, one day, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I had to have that kabab, even though I had to lose my pride (and dignity). I called Kabab Nazi.
“Hi there, I am going to order that minced-meat-grilled-kabab-thingy, what’s the name of that dish?”
“Kabab Koobideh…”
CLICK.
I hung up on him. Hah, that’s for not serving it on buffet again.
Immediately I googled for the recipe and found it here. I rushed to the nearest store, assembled all the ingredients, and started cooking.
Needless to say, I devoured the kababs with great satisfacion as soon as they were out of the grill. My stomach was in wonderland…
One thing flashed through my mind when I was done savoring my Kabab Koodideh–”Give a man a fish; you feed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.”
Now I can make buffet-style-unlimited-refill Kabab Koobideh for a lifetime, every day, or anytime I want.
That’s my sweetest revenge to Kabab Nazi, and perhaps I should pull this Seinfeld’s stunt on him. ;)
Adapted from IranChamber.com
Ingredients:
1lb ground meat (beef, lamb, or chicken)
1/2 onion (finely diced)
Some parsley leaves (finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon salt (if you like salty, add a little more)
1/2 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 egg
A few dashes of black pepper powder
Some cooking oil (for brushing purposes)
Method:
Put the meat, egg, turmeric powder, and salt into a food processor and blend quickly. Transfer the meat to a bowl and mix well with the diced onion and chopped parsley. Chill the meat in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (this is to make sure that it’s easier to thread the meat onto the skewers).
Fire up your grill and thread the meat onto regular metal skewers or flat metal skewers (preferred). Brush the kabob with some oil and grill until they are cooked. Serve hot.
Cook’s Notes:
- I used 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs for my creation.
- To view how Kabab Koobideh is made, click here to watch this video.
Disclaimer: This post is merely my personal experience; it’s by no means a generalization of ethnic buffet restaurants in the United States.
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{ 60 comments… read them below or add one }
OMG, what a beautiful blog… I’ve been going through your pics, and I can’t stop drooling… I love love love Malaysian food… I have to try soooo many recipes from here… Your pics are just AMAZING!
Love these kababs too… :) Cute story about the kabab nazy
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hahaha (sorry I can’t resist!)I am glad that you managed to replicate the recipe at home! Sometime, craving for certain food pushed me to overcome lots of challenge!
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I would have boycotted that restaurant also. I’m so happy you found recipe for the dish and can eat it now whenever! Way to go!
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These look delicious Bee, can’t wait to sink my teeth into one! :)
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Heheh good story. Though as a person who had managed a restaurant before I can also see the Kabab Nazi’s point of view – especially if the item is labourious and costs a bit more to make.
In my point of view, I would have just raised the price a little to offset the extra labour/cost.
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Hahaha, thank God you will always have your great cooking skills to fall back on when you can’t get the food outside. I want those kabab koobideh too!
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Ha Ha, I like the story. Somehow, I could picture the same guy in Seinfeld episode spoke to you in the restaurant. This picture looks really good. I have to try it someday.
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hahahaha…so did it taste like the original?..what happen to the 3rd ep of ur lobster series??
scrumptious looking kabab? is it meant to be kebab?
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love your blog and your kebab story.
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YUMMY！
忒喜欢这美丽的条纹咯，看着就超有食欲呢~
拍的美美的~
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Hahahaha! :) I love this post! Sweet revenge indeed clever girl! Now you can have all the kebabs you want :)
They look great and super delicious btw :)
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oh i had to laugh. isn’t food revenge the best? :) there is a certain Kababa Nazi everywhere. loved the post and the recipe
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What a good story! I’m now glad that this dish isn’t served in the restaurant!!! ;p (said in tongue in cheek).
The grill marks looked great too!
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yet another example of the great stuff you post. the raves are well-deserved.
these kebabs look more-ish.
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I just want to say as a Persian that your kabab koobideh looks quite authentic and I bet it tastes good too. =)
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LOL! I totally remember Seinfeld’s soup nazi!
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I’m giggling! Good for you — now you can make your own, and they look absolutely delicious. And nobody will give you a look when you fill up your plate!!
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i cant believe i read the whole thing ;-)
nice story, i do like these kabab’s. but (there is always a but), I wish there was a way to make it spicy !!!
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Bee – what a funny ,seinfeld-like story. Next time you are in my neck of the woods, Richmond, Va, drop by for a visit. My hubby is Persian and according to all our Iranian friends he makes the best kababs including kubideh even better than what they have in Iran. I don’t remember him using eggs , just a little baking soda, onion, sumac, salt ,pepper…he had started to add some shallots into the mix too. I love kubideh- more than the tenderloin kebabs.
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yay! way to go! You don’t have to rely on ANYBODY to make your kabab now!
I hope you won’t mind to share some with me would you??:)
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Ha! I love that episode… somehow everything can be related back to a Seinfeld episode… And the kababs look amazing!
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That’s a great post! You had me laughing. I love that Seinfeld episode. There used to be a Kramer tour in NYC that would take you to that soup place (yes, it IS a real place).
Anyway, I don’t know what these kabobs are, but you have me craving them :)
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Hilarious post Bee! You are so sly hanging the phone up after getting the info you needed.
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well written, i would have walked off the restaurant too if i were you.:)
i was laughing at your story, cute.
thanks for sharing the recipe, will definitely try it when i am able to eat meat again..
Pegs
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Great story! You’re a sneaky lady, ma’am. I applaud you.
On the other hand, I must say that stories like this only encourage the sort of people who believe that recipes shouldn’t be shared, which is a damn shame.
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That Seinfeld episode was laugh-till-you-cry funny. :)
Your tummy must be smiling often now that you can make the meat-thingy :)
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- What a sweet revenge indeed. Now you know what you should do. Go to the kebab Nazzi and say hello, waiving your gorgeous Kabab Koobideh to him.
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Satay lah! heee heee….just that it’s much flatter.
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that looks goooood! :) and the story was funny. i watched the youtube clips hehe.
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Those looks great. Amazing grill marks. And they sound pretty simple to make.
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bee, this is a marvellous post and serves the Kabab Nazi right! LOL and the recipe is so simple!
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Sig – thanks for your sweet comment. I am happy that you love Malaysian food. Do come back and check out my blog and leave me comments. :)
Mandy – yes, I wouldn’t have tried to make kabab at home if not of Kabab Nazi. Hehe.
K & S – exactly!
Meena – they were quite delicious I must say… ;)
Mooiness – I agree that there is a reason he stopped serving them at buffet. You are right, he should have increased the price like $0.50 or whatever. But it does take some labor and time to make great kababs.
WMW – can we get kababs in Malaysia? I have never seen them though. They are good!
Kyunying – you are right, he does look a bit like Soup Nazi. LOL.
Joe – Ooooh, of course I have my 3rd episode of lobster…will be back. Kabab or Kebab they are the same thing, just like satay, sate, you get the idea. Different countries spell it differently.
Bee – thanks. :)
Yoyo’s Food – thanks! I like the grill marks too…pretty. Hehe.
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Joey – sweet revenge it is…now I wanted to go back and serve my kabab back to him…LOL.
Andreea – I mean, if you don’t want your customers to eat more, then don’t open a buffet restaurant, that’s what I think. :P
Daphne – correct, or else I wouldn’t have known how to make these. ;)
Maybahay – Moorish huh? I guess kabab came from that region?
Hilda – thanks so much, I means a lot to come from a Persian. I don’t have the flat metal skewers though and I used an indoor grill instead too…would have been much better with the flat skewers and outdoor grill, but next time. ;)
Steamy – I know…I have watched that episode like a bazillion times but I still can’t stop laughing at NO SOUP FOR YOU! Too funny!
Lydia – LOL. Somehow I get that look at lot whenever I visit buffet restaurants, what can I do? I am a food blogger and a glutton. Whahaha.
Radman – yeah, I love things spicy too, but I don’t think kababs are meant to be spicy…do they? Hehe.
Veron – ooooh, thanks for your kind invitation, I will remember…now you have to beg your husband for his recipe and post it on your website…please please. I googled and found many entries but everyone of them has the same exact recipe. ;)
Valentina – Of course not, just pick it from your monitor and help yourself…hahaha. :P
Brilynn – I agree, there are so many Seinfeld moments in our daily lives.
Maryann – this is a real place? Soup Nazi? Wow, I want to go…haha.
Marvin – yeah, I am sly like a fox…haha!
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Pegs – I am glad that my story amused you. :)
Danielle – yeah, I was sneaky, but he deserved it. I don’t know what is it about not sharing recipes, I mean, there is really no secret on the internet.
Cynthia – yes, my stomach is still smiling…I love love love these mat thingy’s. LOL.
Rose – I know, I wanted to pull that Elaine’s stunt on him…reading the recipe to him line-by-line…wahahah. Too funny.
Tiga – no lah, they are not satay…they might look similar but the taste is very different because of different ingredients used. I am comparing it to the Malaysian satay where a lot of other spices are used, but this one is just plain turmeric powder, onions, salt, and pepper. Also because they are ground meat…the texture is completely different.
Budding Cook – hehe…now you know why I haven’t been to that restaurant in the longest time…hehe.
Kevin – correct…not that hard.
Babe – yes, the recipe is much simpler than Malaysian satay.
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what a great story. I was reading it and tried not to drool :D
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HAHAHA! Love the story!
At least you didn’t try to get your friends to go to the buffet to get some take-outs like Kramer made Senfeld did with the fruits. :-)
I am VERY GOOD at boycotting restaurants that ticked me off.
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Great story with a delicous looking recipe. Can’t wait to try it. :)
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wah! this kabab koobideh looks so good!
yalah, it is better for you to learn how to cook it then to depend on restaurants.
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No problem! It’s about time we did a kabob post anyway specially since this is the most requested dish that our guests want. It’s really very annoying when I tell them what I will be preparing for the dinner and if it’s not kabobs you can see the disappointment in their faces …grrr…
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lo :) nice story ! serves the man right for taking it off his menu. Go girl , open up a kebab stall right in front of his place and give him a run for his money !
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Haha good job there!
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Great Story and Yummy Looking Kebobs!This is also one of my favorite Persian dish. The other is the lamb!!! Yummy!
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hi. when i said these look ‘more-ish’, i meant they look like i won’t be able to stop at one after i’ve tried them. i’d want more and more :-)
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omg tats so funny and I saw that Sienfield ep. I love ur blog
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I really enjoyed your story and absolutely loved your ending! *LOL*
And now you are sharing the recipe with us! Fantastic!
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yummy… enak!
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I want (yeap, I want) the same in my kitchen…when are you coming here ^^? Cheers
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Andaliman – I drool over your Indonesian dishes too. :)
Ming – yep, bad restaurants should be boycotted.
East Meets West – cool…let me know if you like the recipe once you try it.
Lucia – I don’t think we can get kabab in Penang…they are good.
Veron – by the way, I meant to ask you what is sumac? I don’t know that ingredient. I look forward to your kabab post!!!
Kate – good idea…having a stall outside of his restaurant. ;)
Cindy – thanks. :)
Tricia – I know…Persian food is great. I love their curry too.
Maybahay – haha, sorry, I misunderstood. Cool, the more the better.
Anonymous – thanks for your nice comment. :)
Bayi – lol, thanks. I am glad that you enjoy my story…hehe.
Deetha – yeh, memang enak-nya.
Claude – cool, whenever you are ready, I am there. :P
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The name so changgih one.
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LOL that’ll teach the Kabab Nazi! :P
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Hey there…just found your blog through food blog desam.
Nice post….enjoyed reading it. Like you, Iam a fellow Seinfeld fan….I never get tired of watching the reruns.
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Hip Hip Hooray, Good on you.
We have gained a delicious recipe through your action !
Helen
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may i know what camera u r using?
i love ur photo shoot! :)
drooling..
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That story is hi-lar-ious!
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This looks like an amazing snack, I like it a lot! Thanks for stopping by, I’ll be checking in.
Cheers
David
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You lost, you let it bother you too much. Have a Kabab, a smile, and a deep breath.
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What an interesting dish kabab koobideh and becaus eof tht I will try your kabab koobideh recipe.
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Sad they turned away a customer like that. For every big eater there is a guest or two that may come with them that are more like 1 plate people. So you lose one you may lose another. From the sounds of the recipe it does not seem that costly to make. I’ve seen them do this at a pizza buffet once where no one was eating the mushroom pizza so they started puttig it on every pizza they brought out. To me that just creates waste when they will just throw it out when it does not get eating. I for one love mushrooms so was not an issue for me. Thanks for the recipe …will have to try it. sounds great.
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This is the answer to the person who wrote the recipe about the KABOB KOOBIDEH. This is not what I say but what thousands of people said, I am if not the best but one of the best KOOBEDEH makers in USA CALIFORNIA!!! Remember I never said, I am the best.
Anyway, the RECIPE it is close the original but not the original!! You are not making (KOTLET) or (KOOFTEH)!! So you don’t need (EGG)!!! (FLOUR)!!! (TO put in REFRIGRATE) And things like this!! All you need it is the good beef!! Do you know why you mix it with ONION? Just to take the smell of the BEEF away, anything you add in to it, it is by the choice of the maker, otherwise it is all in your PALM of your HAND, HOW TO PUT IT ON SKEWER (SIKH), You can put on Skewer directly when you bring it home from Market, ITS all in your PALM, this is not something to explain but to see and learn!! All you need to mix is Meat, Onion, salt and pepper, This is the basic of the KOOBIDEH, then you must learn from the start the METHOD of how to put on SKEWER, that is the fist step! So it wouldn’t FALL off the SKEWER, then to learn when you are broiling it, how to keep it on FIRE so it would’t Fall off, I SAY TO MAKE A KOOBIDEH, IT IS AN ART OF COOKING FROM THE START TO THE END. My customers were all the Iranian STARS, and all over the USA. I learnt from MR. HOSSAYNI, the most FAMOUS KABOBI of USA.
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Cute story!I’m intrigued by how the kebabs at the local Iranian joints here are so moist and flavorful, now I figure it must be all that grated onion! Thanks for sourcing the recipe , I am mos def going to try this!
P.S. That Iranian recipe link is great too!
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Yes, I think onion is the trick for the juiciness.
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