I don't think we have ever been to an Indian/ Pakistani/ Mediterranean restaurant and not ordered kabab. I have this habit of looking up the restaurant’s menu online and if there is a kabab platter, it’s the first thing to be ordered. Of course the Kababs are all gone as soon as they come. The only time anyone waits to grab a Kabab is when I am clicking a photo!
So, today I thought about sharing a new Kabab recipe. I stumbled on this amazing Chapli Kabab recipe a couple weeks ago. This is a Mughal influenced Pashtun (the food of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province of Pakistan) style kabab recipe. Although this is not an original Peshawar recipe, it still tastes amazing. The addition of Pomegranate Arils brings a special texture and flavor in these kababs. Although the original recipe did ask for both dried and fresh Pomegranate Arils, I was only able to find fresh arils (which are easily available at any grocery store in the fruit aisle). If you can find dried arils, do add them otherwise don't skip the fresh Pomegranate Arils as they add a burst of flavors in the kababs.
Now let's discuss what this kabab will look and taste like. The original Peshawari Chapli Kabab is actually a street food prepared with beef. So this is obviously not a fancy kabab, this is a rustic, absolutely delicious, fall in love with the flavors kabab. Also, the specialty of original Peshawari Kabab is that it uses just a handful or minimum ingredients. The ingredients list of this recipe is a bit long and that is because we have used a few substitutions.
The word chapli is derived from the pashto word chapleet which means flat. As I mentioned above, this is a rustic kabab. It is therefore molded roughly by hand. The patties could be round, oval or palm shaped. If you find them difficult to shape, roll into a ball, then place in the frying pan and press down lightly with your fingers (if you dare) or with a spatula. The preparation is quite simple - raw minced meat is marinated with herbs and spices, tomatoes, onions and eggs. Wheat flour (I have used gram flour) is used to bind the ingredients together.
The patty is shallow fried till it looks dark and develops a charred exterior. It has a crunchy texture, nutty and tangy taste (due to the addition of Pomegranate Arils and tomato). Believe me, the kababs are so aromatic that you won't be able to wait to prepare the parathas. The original recipe adds Tallow (animal fat from beef or mutton) which I didn't have so I boiled two eggs and added them instead. The addition of eggs not only elevates the overall flavors by many folds but also helps to bind the kabab better.
There are quite a few wet and dry ingredients going in this recipe. I would recommend you not to add the tomatoes beforehand if you are not preparing the kababs immediately. Also do not skip the gram flour because it greatly helps to adjust the moisture oozed by the onion and tomato.
Also make sure to use a coarser grind of meat for this recipe. It also helps to bind it better. You can use goat or beef minced meat.
My final tip, fry a small patty first instead of a whole batch. Taste and re-adjust the seasonings then fry the rest of the kababs. I hope you do try this recipe and feel the happiness I felt. Cook and share with your loved ones.
And yes, for the Lachha paratha, the credit goes to Debarshi. Do check out the recipe and enjoy these delicious Chapli kababs with the Lachha parathas.
Ingredients:
- Minced Meat - beef or goat, 500-600 grams (coarsely minced meat is better)
- Salt - ½ teaspoon (or to taste)
- Cilantro stems - 1 tablespoon, washed and finely chopped
- Red Onion - 1, big
- Tomato - 1 small, chopped
- Green Chili - 1, chopped (optional)
- Cilantro - 1 tablespoon, washed and chopped
- Egg - 1 (to be beaten)
- Chili Flakes - 1 teaspoon
- Dry Pomegranate Arils/ Amchur - 1 teaspoon
- Carom Seeds - ¼ teaspoon
- Gram Flour - 4-5 tablespoons (or as required)
- Eggs - 2, boiled and grated
- Ginger - ½ inch, peeled and grated
- Fresh Pomegranate Arils - 1 tablespoon
- Canola Oil - ½ cup, for frying
Chapli Kabab Spice Mix:
- Coriander Seeds - 1 tablespoon
- Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon
- Black Peppercorns - 15-20
- Black Cardamom - 2, crushed coarsely with the kitchen mallet
- Salt - ¼ teaspoon
- Chili Flakes - 1 teaspoon
Tip: Chili Flakes and Green Chilis are optional. You can adjust that as per your personal preference.
To make the Chapli Kabab Spice Mix:
- Heat a pan on medium low heat.
- Add the Coriander Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Black Peppercorns, Black Cardamom with the Salt. Roast them till they smell fragrant.
- Switch off the heat. Let the seeds cool down then transfer them into the grinder/ Nutri Bullet (milling blade) and grind coarsely.
- Transfer it into a bowl, add the Chili flakes and mix well. Keep it aside.
Directions:
- Chop the red onion finely, you can use the food chopper or grater for this step. Transfer it to a bowl and sprinkle a pinch or two of salt. Mix and keep it aside. This will help the onion to ooze out the water.
- Beat one egg with a fork and keep it aside. We will only be using half of it.
- Take a big plastic/ glass bowl and add the minced mutton and salt (about ½ teaspoon or to taste) and mix well.
- Press the onion between your palms to squeeze out the moisture. You can also use paper towels or cheesecloth for this step. The drier the onion, the less gram flour it will take to bind the kabab. Add it to the minced mutton.
- Next add the Tomato, Green Chili, Cilantro stems and leaves with the half beaten egg.
- Now add the Chapli Kabab Spice Mix (prepared above), Chili Flakes, Dry and Fresh Pomegranate Arils, Carom Seeds, Gram Flour, grated Eggs and Ginger.
- The Chapli Kabab mix is now ready. Let’s fry a test Kabab, this will help us to adjust the seasonings and salt.
- Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat. After about 30 seconds, add the Canola Oil.
- Wash your hands then take a portion of kabab mix, round it up roughly and place on the pan. Press lightly with your fingers or spatula to form a patty shape.
- Allow it time to cook, flip after about 2 minutes. The kabab should develop a nice char and golden red color on both sides.
- Transfer the cooked kabab to a plate. Turn the heat to low and allow the patty to cool down for a minute. Then taste and adjust the salt.
- Once the kabab tastes perfect, fry the kababs in batches and serve hot with cilantro chutney, sliced onion and Lachha Paratha.
Like Kababs and Tikkas? Try these as well:
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