Tas Kebab is a kebab that has been around since Ottoman times. The sultans were served this kebab often in large round trays where the kebab was placed in the middle and it was surrounded with rice pilaf. How about making this kebab in your own home and feeling like a sultan?
Origins of Tas Kebab
Tas Kebab was a stable in the palace and rich houses of Istanbul during the 18th century. When wealthy families wanted to hire a cook for their home, they made the candidate cook tas kebab to test his/her skills.
During those days, tas kebab was served in the form of cooked meat in a closed bowl in the middle, in a tray surrounded by rice, then the bowl was carefully removed from the middle and served.
Nowadays the tas kebab is famous in the Balkans, Iran and Armenia, if not everywhere. I promise to upload more pictures soon.
What meat cut is suitable for making tas kebab?
Sirloin, lump or round cuts of beef or lamb is suitable for making tas kebab. Cut the meat into medium-sized pieces. Try to make the pieces equal sizes.
As the meat will be marinated it is also fine if you choose to buy market sold ready cut beef chunks. I often use these too.
The traditional way of cooking tas kebab
Tas means bowl, indicating that the meat is cooked in a bowl. Here are the steps to follow:
- Chop the meat of your choice.
- Chop onions and garlic.
- Choose a glass bowl to marinade. Mix the meat with garlic, onion, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, spices (except salt), tomato paste and pepper paste and keep covered in the fridge for at least half-hour before cooking. You can marinade overnight too.
Mix the meat to marinade 
Cover the bowl
- Flip over the bowl into a larger pot.
- Add warm water to the pot to reach 4 centimetres (1.5 inches) height.
- While cooking the bowl might start floating, place a heavy object onto the bowl to prevent it floating around while cooking. I often put another pyrex on top of it and fill it with water to make it heavier.
- Cover the lid of the pot and cook first at high heat until the water comes to a bowl, then lower the heat and let simmer until the meat is well done.
- When time is up open the lid, remove the bowl add salt to taste and a teaspoon of butter.
- Taste and adjust spices. Remove from heat. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.
Alternative cooking method
Sometimes you might not have the time or patience to wait for more than an hour to cook this amazing kebab. You can go ahead and cook it in the pressure cooker. Use the same ingredients and sequence but skip the bowl altogether.
You can use the slow cooker or the multi cooker for this dish too.
What to add to this kebab
Traditionally you are not supposed to add anything else than the meat, tomato and pepper pastes, onion and garlic. However, in order to make the dish plenty often potatoes, mushrooms, peppers and even peas are added. But keep in mind that when you do add these the dish turns into a different kind of kebab or stew.
What to serve with tas kebab
The best choices are rice pilaf, mashed or fried potatoes and refreshing salad. I often cube potatoes and then fry them to match the meat. If you liked this recipe you might also want to check the following kebab recipes in my blog too:
Turkish Tas Kebab
Ingredients
- 500 grams meat chunks
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ tablespoon hot pepper paste
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Chop the meat of your choice into similar sized cubes.
- Chop onions and garlic.
- Choose a glass bowl to marinade that is big enough to take in all the meat.
- Mix the meat with garlic, onion, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, spices (except salt), tomato paste and pepper paste and keep covered in the fridge for at least half hour before cooking. You can marinade overnight too.
- Flip over the bowl into a larger pot. Add warm water to the pot to reach 4 centimeters (1.5 inch) height.
- While cooking the bowl might start floating, to prevent this place a heavy object on to the bowl.
- Cover the lid of the pot and cook first at high heat until the water comes to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer until the meat is well done for about an hour.
- When time is up open the lid, remove the bowl, mix the meat. Add salt to taste and a teaspoon of butter. Taste and adjust spices. Cook longer if meat is not ready.
- Remove from heat. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.
Notes
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