Buttery spiced kebabs with saffron rice recipe

Method

1. Wash the rice well then leave to soak for 20 minutes. Crush the saffron in a pestle and mortar until ground then add a few drops of hot water to bloom it. When the rice is fully soaked, melt the butter in a large saucepan with bay leaves and cinnamon. Add the salt, turmeric and bloomed saffron, followed by the drained rice and 600ml cold water. Stir to combine then bring up to a simmer. Cover with a lid, reduce to lowest heat and cook for 10 minutes. Take off the heat, keeping the lid on, and leave to steam for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill to high (270°C). For the roast veg, put the onion, garlic cloves and tomatoes into a roasting tray, cutting 2 of the tomatoes in half first and scooping out their insides. Drizzle with oil and season with salt. Roast under the grill in the middle of the oven for 10-15 minutes, until collapsed and browned.
3. To make the kebabs, put the chopped chillies and grated onion and garlic in a clean cloth or tea towel and squeeze out the liquid, making sure to reserve this liquid for later. Tip into a large bowl with the mince, cumin, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Mix for 10 minutes by hand until a little of the meat sticks to your hand if held up and feels like sausage meat. (At this stage, you could chill the meat for 4 hours or overnight to develop the flavour.)
4. Press the meat onto 8 metal or soaked wooden kebab sticks, coating your hands in the reserved onion water first to stop the meat sticking to you. Remove the roasting tomato tray from the oven and lay the kebabs on top so they balance from either side (or if the tray is too big, lay a wire rack on top first). Melt the butter with the saffron then brush all over the kebabs. Grill for about 6 minutes at the top of the oven, until cooked through and golden. Set the meat aside to rest.
5. To make the tomato salad, chop 2 of the roasted whole tomatoes and all of the halves. Stir in the tomato salad ingredients.
6. For the roasted onion yogurt, chop the roasted onions and garlic from the tray then put in a bowl and mix with the yogurt, lemon and parsley.
7. To serve, fluff the rice with a fork place then spoon into a bowl. Arrange the kebabs on a platter, on top of some flatbreads if you like, with the remaining 2 roasted tomatoes, charred lemon halves and pickled chillies. Sprinkle with sumac. Serve the kebabs with the rice, yogurt and tomato salad, adding an egg yolk on top of each portion of rice on the plate to mix in as you eat.

• See more recipes from the Tesco Kitchen

• For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.
• As part of a healthy balanced diet, we recommend this recipe for a special occasion or treat.
• If you’re preparing food containing raw or lightly cooked eggs for people who may be more vulnerable to infection, use eggs produced under the British Lion Code or Laid in Britain assurance schemes. All Tesco eggs are produced under the British Lion Code.
• Once the egg yolk is mixed in do not reheat and dispose of leftovers.