Chapli Kebab

Ingredients

Kebab mix

• 700 gcoarsely minced beef, at least 20 per cent fat
• 150 gbeef suet or fat, finely chopped
• 2onions, finely chopped and squeezed dry
• 3tomatoes, one finely chopped and two sliced into rounds for the top
• 1large handful coriander, chopped
• 3green chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tbspcoarsely crushed coriander seed
• 1 tbspcrushed pomegranate seed (anardana)
• 1 tspcrushed cumin seed
• 1 tspchilli flakes
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 1egg
• 4 tbspfine maize flour

To fry

• 250 gbeef tallow, or enough to give 1 cm depth in the pan

To serve

• Afghan naan
• sliced onion and green chilli
• a lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Squeeze the chopped onion hard in your fists over the sink; every drop of water you leave in will make the patties fall apart in the fat.
2. Mix the mince with the chopped suet, onion, chopped tomato, herbs, chillies and all the spices, working it with your hands for 2 minutes.
3. Beat in the egg and the maize flour, which binds the mix and gives the crumbly edge that distinguishes a chapli from a burger.
4. Cover and rest the mix in the fridge for at least an hour so the salt firms the protein and the crushed coriander seed perfumes the fat.
5. Melt the tallow in a wide, shallow karahi or heavy frying pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 1 cm deep.
6. Wet your palms and flatten a handful of mix into a disc 12 to 14 cm across and barely 1 cm thick; chapli means sandal, and the kebab is meant to be that wide and that flat.
7. Press a tomato round onto the top of each patty, then slide them into the fat tomato side up, two at a time.
8. Fry 4 to 5 minutes on the first side without moving them, until the underside is deeply browned and lacy at the edges, then flip carefully with two spatulas and give 3 to 4 minutes more.
9. Spoon hot fat over the tops as they cook so the tomato softens and the surface stays moist.
10. Drain briefly and serve straight onto naan, with raw onion, green chilli and lemon; the bread underneath soaks up the spiced fat, which is half the reason for eating it.

Technique

• The crushed coriander seed is not optional and not ground powder. Whole seeds cracked in a mortar give the crunchy, citrus-scented pops that identify a chapli kebab from Peshawar to Jalalabad.
• Beef tallow is the traditional frying fat and gives the flavour; vegetable oil makes an acceptable kebab and a duller one.
• The mix is deliberately wet and loose. It should just hold together, which is why it is fried flat in shallow fat rather than grilled on a skewer.
• Maize flour rather than breadcrumbs is what keeps the texture crumbly and short rather than bouncy.

Substitutions

• No anardana: use 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses or a squeeze of lemon, though you lose the sour crunch. Minced lamb works, but Afghan and Peshawari cooks consider beef standard.

Variations

• The Peshawari original is fattier still and often includes a beaten egg cracked over the pan.
• Jalalabad versions go heavier on tomato and chilli.
• Chapli kebab burgers, served in a bun with chutney, are the common street form in Kabul today.

History

A speciality of Jalalabad and the Pashtun east; the name comes from the Pashto word for flat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chapli Kebab?

Chapli Kebab is a street food from Afghanistan: flat minced-beef patty studded with tomato and coriander seed, fried in tallow. A speciality of Jalalabad and the Pashtun east; the name comes from the Pashto word for flat.

How long does Chapli Kebab take to make?

Chapli Kebab takes 25 min plus 1 hr resting of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 kebabs. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Chapli Kebab?

Yes, within limits. No anardana: use 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses or a squeeze of lemon, though you lose the sour crunch. Minced lamb works, but Afghan and Peshawari cooks consider beef standard.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chapli Kebab?

The crushed coriander seed is not optional and not ground powder. Whole seeds cracked in a mortar give the crunchy, citrus-scented pops that identify a chapli kebab from Peshawar to Jalalabad.