In a mortar and pestle, grind together equal parts of saffron and sugar. You're doing this for two reasons. One, it extends the use of the saffron by flavoring the sugar with the aroma and essence. Two, once it is ground up fine, it dissolves in water more easily.
Use about 1/2 teaspoon of this powder mixed with 1 cup of hot water to give you a saffron water you can use to flavor meats, desserts, and cakes.
Joojeh Kabobs
Place chicken in a large bowl.
Place onion, Greek yogurt, oil, salt, paprika, and black pepper in a small blender container and process until you get a smooth mixture.
Pour this mixture over the chicken.
Add turmeric and saffron water and mix until the chicken is well-coated with the marinade. You’re adding these two ingredients later to keep your blender bowl from being irrevocably stained yellow.
Allow the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes or for up to 24 hours in a refrigerator.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, and place in the air fryer basket.
Set the air fryer to 370F for 15 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through.
Test with a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165F before serving.
These joojeh kababs are usually served with plain white rice with butter, and a sprinkle of the saffron water on top of it.