Del o Jigar — Persian Heart & Liver Skewers (Best Iranian Food for Fasting)
Prep
25 mins
Cook
12 mins
Total
37 mins
Serves
4
Calories
250 kcal
Why This Works for Intermittent Fasting
Del o Jigar is one of the strongest meals in Iranian cuisine for breaking a fast: high protein, zero carbohydrate, and a micronutrient profile no ordinary meat comes close to. Heart is one of the richest natural sources of CoQ10, kidney supplies selenium and B vitamins, and liver brings iron, B12 and vitamin A. For people who fast regularly, this matters. Long…
July 25, 2026
Del o Jigar — Persian Heart & Liver Skewers
Why This Works for Intermittent Fasting
Del o Jigar is one of the strongest meals in Iranian cuisine for breaking a fast: high protein, zero carbohydrate, and a micronutrient profile no ordinary meat comes close to. Heart is one of the richest natural sources of CoQ10, kidney supplies selenium and B vitamins, and liver brings iron, B12 and vitamin A.
For people who fast regularly, this matters. Long fasting windows shrink the number of meals you eat, so every meal has to carry more nutrition — and a mixed organ skewer does that better than almost anything else. Heart in particular is lean, mild and tastes closer to steak than to liver, which makes this an easy entry point. Eat it with basil, mint and lemon, not with bread. Pair with Mast-o-Khiar and read what to eat after breaking a fast.
Ingredients
- 300 g lamb heart, trimmed and cubed
- 300 g lamb liver, cubed
- 200 g lamb kidney, halved and cored (optional)
- 1 onion, grated and juice squeezed out
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt (added at the end)
- Lemon wedges, fresh basil and mint, to serve
Method
- Prepare the offal. Trim the heart of fat and valves, remove membrane from the liver, and core the kidneys. Soak the kidney and liver 20–30 minutes in cold water, then dry well.
- Marinate. Toss everything with onion juice, olive oil, turmeric and pepper. Rest 30 minutes. No salt yet.
- Skewer separately. Heart, liver and kidney cook at different speeds — give each its own skewer.
- Grill the heart first — 5–6 minutes per side, it is the toughest.
- Grill the kidney — 4 minutes per side.
- Grill the liver last — 3 minutes per side only, pull it while barely pink.
- Salt and finish with lemon juice, then serve with basil and mint. No bread.
Nutrition Per Serving
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~250 kcal |
| Protein | ~32 g |
| Fat | ~11 g |
| Net carbs | ~2 g |
| Fiber | ~0 g |
Values are approximate and vary with the ratio of heart to liver to kidney.
Fasting Protocol Compatibility
| Protocol | Compatible? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 16:8 | ✅ Yes | Dense nutrition for a limited number of meals |
| 18:6 | ✅ Yes | Refills iron and B12 after a long fast |
| OMAD | ✅ With a side | Add yogurt or avocado for fat and calories |
| 5:2 (fast days) | ✅ Yes | High protein, moderate calories |
| 20:4 / Warrior | ✅ Yes | Quick-cooking and satisfying |
Del o Jigar is old-school Iranian street food that happens to be an almost perfect fasting meal — no sugar, no starch, and more micronutrition per bite than anything else on the grill.
Note: because of the liver's vitamin A content, keep this to once or twice a week.
For the complete guide, get Intermittent Fasting in Practice on Amazon — and claim 3 months free on our fasting app at fastinginpractice.com/redeem.
Nutrition information is approximate. Consult a health professional for personalised nutrition advice.
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