The Delicious Crescent

Make Kabob Mixture
1 Grate the onion using a box grater and squeeze out the juices. Save the juices for later.Tip: Use freshly ground meat for best results. Drain excess juices from the meat.
3 In a mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, grated onion, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Knead the mixture for about [timer minutes=5]5 minutes[/timer] until it forms a smooth, dough-like mass that can be easily shaped around the skewers without dropping off. The mixture should be neither too wet nor too dense.
Start Charcoal Grill
6 Start the grill about [timer minutes=30]30 minutes[/timer] prior to grilling. For best flavor, use hardwood charcoal rather than briquettes.Tip: You can use a gas grill, but charcoal grill will give the best results.
7 The coals are ready when they are glowing uniformly, with a subsided flame and covered with ash. Try using a portable fan or hair dryer to speed-up the process. If you're new to charcoal grilling, check this tutorial.
Shape Kabobs
10 Divide the kabob mixture into 8 equal portions. Moisten your palms with onion juice or plain water. Take one portion of the mixture and shape it into an oval sausage, about 4 to 5 inches long.
12 With meat portion in one hand, press the thin edge of a skewer into the meat and shape it uniformly around the middle section of the skewer. Continue shaping the meat into a kabob, approximately 7 to 8 inches long and ⅔ inch thick, carefully squeezing the meat around the skewer for a tight fit.
14 Using your thumb and index finger, mark indentations about an inch apart, along the length of the kabob. Alternatively, use your index and middle fingers and press indentations in a scissor like manner. View photos in blog or video above.
15 Arrange the skewers on a long tray or baking sheet with raised edges to support them on both ends, without the meat touching the base of the pan.Tip: Shape the kabobs just before grilling. Sprinkle some onion juice over them before placing on the grill.
Grill Vegetables (optional)
18 Start grilling the vegetables before meat kabobs. Carefully thread the tomatoes, onion halves, and quartered bell peppers on the thin skewers. Brush the vegetables with olive oil.
20 Place the skewers on grill, adjusting the heat as needed (refer to the next section for grilling tips). When the vegetables are about half-cooked, begin grilling the kabobs. This way everything gets cooked at same time.
Grill Kabobs
22 Arrange the skewers on the grill (without the grate), spacing them apart and positioned about 3 to 4 inches directly over the glowing coals. Make sure that the kabobs do not touch the grill and are cooked with direct heat from the coals.
23 Tip: If you are new to this recipe or prefer to keep the grate on the grill, elevate the skewers slightly to prevent the meat from touching the grate. That way even if the meat drops off, you will not lose the kabobs into the coals.
26 Within seconds of arranging the skewers on the grill, start flipping them in the same order as they were placed. Flip them before they cook too much on one side, or the meat on the other side will fall off. This helps the cooked meat to attach to the skewer on both sides. Once the other side is also cooked slightly, turn them over, basting the skewers in between.
28 Grill the kabobs for approximately [timer minutes=0]4 to 5 minutes[/timer] on each side until they develop a nice brown sear outside and are cooked through (not pink inside). Remove the kabobs from the grill while they are still juicy and tender, and brush them with the basting mixture just before taking them off the grill.
Serve 
31 Using a small piece of flatbread, gently loosen the kabobs from one end and slide them on a serving platter lined with flat breads such as lavash or sangak. The hot juices from the kabobs will soak into the bread. Sprinkle with sumac or lemon juice and keep the kabobs warm by covering with more flatbreads.
33 Serve the kabobs fresh off the grill with saffron rice, flatbreads, grilled vegetables, sumac, fresh herbs and doogh (a Persian yogurt drink).