Akbar Joojeh

Akbar Joojeh is one of the traditional Iranian dishes that roots in Northern Iran. The beginning of this delicious food dates back to less than 100 years ago.

Ali Akbar Kalbadi had a small cafe in Gelogah county in the eastern Mazandaran. He served the residents tea, breakfast, and hubble-bubble.

Kalbadi then started serving food in his small cafe and turned it into a restaurant. They provided lunch to travelers and truck drivers who passed the region.

By then, Kalbadi started serving chicken in his new way. The new chicken was flavored with lemon, salt, pepper and fried in oil. They served the chicken with saffron rice. The new food was delicious as Kalbadi prepared a special pomegranate sauce. Soon it became popular and got called Akbar Joojeh after his name. People even called the restaurant Akbar Joojeh. Rumor has it that customers teased Kalbadi by calling him Joojeh (chicken) as he was short and slim. 

Ali Akbar Kalbadi started new branches with his family in Mazandaran and Golestan provinces. He managed to expand his business and make a great name in the food industry. 

Now Akbar Joojeh is served all over Iran and has branches in the US, Canada, and even Gulf states. 

Akbar Joojeh benefits

Akbar Joojeh contains A ، C ، D ، E ، K vitamins. As its high in protein, it could raise your energy level and improve your muscles. So the athletes could take advantage of it. 

Akbar Joojeh contains calcium and magnesium, which keeps bones and teeth strong and helps to prevent osteoporosis.

Akbar Joojeh Ingredients

The ingredients of Akbar Joojeh is as follows:

  • Chicken 
  • Onion 
  • Garlic 
  • Walnut 
  • Butter 
  • Saffron 
  • Black pepper 
  • Turmeric 
  • Lemon juice
  • Pomegranate paste

Akbar Joojeh sauce

You can make a special sauce to make the dish more delicious. Mix pomegranate paste, garlic, walnut, and water lemon with olive oil. Serve the chicken with this amazing sauce to enjoy more of your Iranian dish.

Akbar Joojeh recipe

  1. First, you have to skin and wash the chicken. Cut the chicken into two or several parts. You can cut or leave the wings. 
  2. Marinating the chicken is one of the most important parts. You need a large bowl to do so. Cut the onion and add them to the bowl. Then add the peeled and chopped garlic to it. Don’t worry about its trace as there will nothing left after the cooking. 

You can grain the garlic too, choices yours. You could pick red pepper instead of black; it’s up to your taste. However, the original recipe recommends black pepper.

  1. Add lemon juice and the brewed saffron. They will make the meat tender and yummy. 
  2. Now, mix all the added ingredients in the bowl of pomegranate paste with your hands. This is why you should get a large bowl so you can mix the ingredients well. Do it as long as you can; the final taste depends on how fine you marinate. Leave the bowl in a fridge for 12- 24 hours. It’s up to the time you have; the longer, the better. 
  3. It would be better to remove the chicken from the fridge at least 15 minutes before cooking. Pour oil into a large enough pot and put it on the stove. When the oil is hot, put the chicken parts in the pot. It would be better to remove the onion parts from the chicken. They will burn and give an annoying smell. 

Wait until the color changes, lower the heat, and put the lid on. You need to flip the chicken parts, be careful not to burn them. They should cook for 20-30 minutes. 

  1. During the last 2-3 minutes, add salt and melt the butter while the chicken is frying. Stir-frying a few minutes with butter would give the chicken an amazing taste. 
  2. Now, your Akbar Joojeh is ready to be served. You can have it traditionally with saffron rice or with bread.

 

Akbar Joojeh in Las Vegas

Try the best ever Akbar Joojeh in Las Vegas in Hafez Persian Restaurant. Hafez has been providing the best Persian cuisine to the residents for 5+ years now. We are honored to be selected as the best top 25 restaurants in Las Vegas for two years in a row.
You could also order Akbar Joojeh in Las Vegas online through the menu of the website.