Chelow Kabab is Iran's national dish, the equivalent of steak and potatoes in the United States. It is served everywhere, from palaces to roadside stalls, but the best chelow kababs are probably those sold in the bazaars, where it is served with a tin cloche covering the rice to keep it warm. The kababs are brought to the table by the waiter, who holds five or ten skewers in his left hand and a piece of bread in his right hand. He places a skewer of kabab directly on the rice and, holding it down with the bread, dramatically pulls out the skewer, leaving the sizzling kababs behind.

Chelow kabab consists of chelow (steamed rice) and kabab, skewers of lamb, veal, or beef cubes or ground meat marinated in saffron, onions, yogurt, and lime juice. Grilled tomatoes and raw onions are also an integral part of chelow kabab. The traditional way to serve chelow kabab is as follows:

Heap a pyramid of chelow on each plate. Add a dab of butter and sprinkle with a teaspoon of powdered sumac. Mix well.

Place the kababs (kabab-e kubideh, kabab-e barg or a combination of both, called sultani, which literally means kingly) and the grilled tomatoes on the rice.

Serve hot with trimmings such as sabzi-khordan (fresh herbs and scallions), mast-o khiar (yogurt and cucumber), mast-o musir (yogurt and shallots), and torshi (Persian pickles). Chelow kabab is often washed down with dugh, a yogurt drink with mint, but a Pepsi with chelow kabab on Fridays for lunch was the treat of our childhood.

The prudent cook should always keep some meat marinating in the refrigerator at home to serve to unexpected guests and hungry members of the family. Then while the chelow is cooking, the fire can be started and the kababs prepared. This is truly convenience cooking-simple, yet nutritious and delicious. Children too love chelow kabab.