Chapli kebab
Flat, crisp-edged Peshawari mince kebabs packed with crushed coriander seed, chilli and dried pomegranate.
- Serves4
- Prep20 min
- Chill30 min
- Cook20 min
- HeatHot
Chapli kebabs come from Peshawar, where they're fried in wide, flat pans. They should be thin, big and rough at the edges, with crunchy bits of coriander seed and the sour pop of dried pomegranate.
Ingredients
Ask at the counter for750g beef or lamb mince with about 20% fat
Cut: Beef mince, Mince (lamb)
Method
Put everything except the frying oil in a large bowl. Mix and knead with your hands for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is sticky and holds together.
Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. This firms up the mince so the kebabs keep their shape in the pan.
Wet your hands and divide the mixture into 8. Flatten each piece into a round about 1cm thick and the size of your palm. Rough, uneven edges are what you want.
Heat 1cm of oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry 2 or 3 kebabs at a time for 3 to 4 minutes a side, until deep brown outside and cooked all the way through with no pink in the middle.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with naan, raita and sliced onion.
Tips
- Fat matters. Very lean mince makes dry, crumbly kebabs.
- For the Peshawar look, press a thin slice of tomato into one side of each kebab before frying.
- Mince has to be cooked right through. Cut the first one open to check.
Good to know
- Make ahead and freezing
- Freeze shaped, uncooked kebabs between sheets of baking paper. Defrost in the fridge before frying.
- Heat
- Hot. Use fewer chillies for a milder version.