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When it comes to frozen food at Trader Joe’s, I think we have to agree upfront frozen generally doesn’t hold a candle to homemade from scratch. Can it be good? Sure, but don’t go in expecting what’d you get at someone’s house or a great restaurant. That’s definitely the case with Trader Joe’s Middle Eastern Style Kebabs … aka koobideh.
If you’re looking for convenience, these fit the bill. They’re already fully cooked so the bag advises warming them on the grill (but why bother), microwave, air fryer (my method of choice), or in the oven. They heat in the airfryer in just 6 minutes, so make your side dishes first. And for me, the side dishes matter. Respect what these kebabs are meant to be first, then do whatever else you want with them.
Although polo tahdig, the rice with a crispy bottom that you turn out onto a platter, is my favorite, it does take time. So instead I made a basic saffron rice from Louisa Shafia’s The New Persian Kitchen (recipe below), along with her Shirazi Salad. It’s similar to the cucumber tomato salads you’ve probably had before, but it’s well worth getting the dried mint to add to it. Trader Joe’s carried Spanish Saffron in the past, but I haven’t checked lately to see if it’s in stock.
I grabbed a bag of Trader Joe’s lavash to go with. What you don’t see pictured is some raw white or yellow onion to eat with the koobideh. I don’t always eat it when we have take out, especially if the kebabs are super flavorful, but I think Trader Joe’s needs it. You just slice it thinly and then rinse it to get rid of some of that in your face oniony-ness.
And hopefully, trying it at Trader Joe’s will inspire people to make koobideh at home. It’s pretty simple, and I’ve made it with lamb and beef, which is even tastier. And from everything I’ve heard over the years, it’s gotta be done with Sadaf’s Ground Meat Kabob Seasoning, available at your local Persian market, or on Amazon. By comparison, Trader Joe’s version is underseasoned, but still tasty. After 5-6 mins in the airfryer they’re still tender and a little bit juicy.
Would I buy Trader Joe’s Middle Eastern Style Kebabs again? Sure. For the convenience, you can’t beat it. But there’s something to be said for making it from scratch and grilling it so you get some nice char and flavor on it. And once that grill is on you can throw some tomatoes and onion on there, too. Delicious.
If you’re interested in learning more about Persian food, Naomi Duguid’s Taste of Persia is also worth checking out.
Check out some other We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s:
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Bites
Saffron Rice
Adapted from The New Persian Kitchen by Louisa Shafia. This is half a recipe to serve 3-4.
Ingredients
- 1 c. white basmati rice
- 1.5 c. water
- 1/2 t. kosher salt
- 1 T. unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 t. saffron threads, ground and steeped in 1 T. hot water
Instructions
Put the rice in a medium bowl and cover with water. Let soak for 30 minutes.
Drain the rice and rinse it with cold water until it runs nearly clear.
In a medium size sauce pot, combine the 1.5 c. water and kosher salt. Bring to a boil.
Add the rice, bring it back to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 5 minutes.
Add the butter cubes and fluff the rice with a fork.
Arrange all but one cup of the rice on a platter. Add the remaining one cup to the saffron mixture and stir until coated.
Garnish the platter with the saffron rice and serve.
