Mughal culinary influences in the region popularised a number of kebab dishes, resulting in local recipes such as the chapli kebab. The name chapli is said to be derived from the Pashto word chapleet, meaning "flat" – alluding to the kebabs light, round and flattened texture.
Chapli kebab is a minced meat patty widely popular in Pakistan. Mixed with a blend of spices, ground beef is flattened into patties and shallow-fried until the exterior is charred and flavorful. Serve in a bun with pickled red onions!
A popular street food from Pakistan, Chapli Kebab is loaded with flavour and texture. Made with a minced mutton, veggies, masalas, and coated in gram flour, this is one recipe every kebab lover needs to try at least once! Makes for the perfect party starter or an indulgent 5-pm snack.
Chapli kebabs have a mildly spicy and sour taste, and the ground spices lend it loads of texture and flavour. It has a unique ingredient called anardana or dried pomegranate, which delivers the typical sour taste. These kebabs are flattened and coated in flour, and then fried which gives them a beautifully charred brown exterior, while still keeping it tender and juicy on the inside.
I recently happened to try chapli kebabs at a friends Eid party, and it was love at first bite for me! Imagine perfectly charred outside, super juicy on the inside, and loaded with unique flavour in every bite, these kebabs were unlike anything I had ever tasted. So me being me, I had to try to recreate this recipe ASAP. After a little bit of trial and error, I can finally say that I have landed on, what I think, is the most delicious kebab recipe out there!
Mutton: Ground or minced mutton meat. For this recipe, it is best to use something with about 20-25% fat for the best texture and flavour.
Besan or maize flour: Dry roasted besan and used to coat the kebabs before frying.
Onions: Finely chopped for added texture and flavour.
Tomato: Deseeded and finely chopped. Removing the seeds and wet parts of the tomato is a very important step to prevent the kebabs from becoming too watery and breaking apart during the frying process.
Coriander: Finely chopped coriander to add a dash of earthiness to the whole dish.
Mint: Finely chopped for a hint of freshness.
Masalas: A mix of whole and ground spices for lots of flavour and texture. I have used chilli powder, jeera powder, turmeric powder and garam masala. In addition, this recipe also uses coarsely ground coriander seeds for added flavour and texture.
Ginger garlic paste: I have used freshly-made paste for this recipe for maximum flavour and aroma.
Anardana powder: Dried pomegranate powder adds a lovely sour or chatpata flavour to these kebabs. You can easily replace it with amchoor powder if you do not have access to the former.
Oil: Any neutral flavoured oil with a high smoke point such as peanut, canola, or rice bran works well for this recipe.
Ingredients for Chapli Kabab
Steps for Chapli Kabab
Chapli Kabab
Ingredients
1 big Onion
250 gram Minced Meat
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste
2 Green Chillies
1/4th teaspoon Carrom Seeds
Half teaspoon Garam Masala powder
1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes
Half teaspoon Pomegranate Dry Seeds
1 medium Tomato (diseeded chopped)
1/4th teaspoon Crushed Black Pepper
2 tablespoon Maize Flour (Besan)
1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Egg
Fresh Coriander
Mint Leaves
Steps
Take 250 grams mince meat, wash and drain the water completely.
The minced meat should be very fine, if it is not fine, grind it in a chopper to make it fine.
Chop one big size onion.
In a bowl take the minced meat add one teaspoon salt, one teaspoon ginger garlic paste, 2 chopped green chillies,1/4th tsp carrom crushed seeds, half tsp Garam Masala powder, 1 tsp Chilli flakes, half teaspoon pomegranate dry seeds, 1 medium tomato (diseeded chopped), 1/4th tsp Crushed black pepper, 2 tbsp maize flour,( if you do not have Maize flour, you can use roasted besan gram flour) 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds (coarsely grounded), 1 egg, fresh chopped coriander and mint leaves.
Drain the water of the chopped onion by pressing it with your hands and add this onion to the mixture of kebab.
Now mix all these ingredients with the Kabab mixture for 2 to 3 minutes by pressing with your fingers so that all the spices are properly induced with the mince meat.
Cover and keep aside to marinate for 30 to 60 minutes.
After the Kabab mixture is marinated apply some oil on your hands, then take a big blob from the mixture, as these kababs are made in big size.
Make it round, then take a butter paper and apply some water to the paper, place this ball of kabab mixture and press it with your fingers to make a very thin round big Kabab.
Repeat the same procedure to make all the kebabs.
Heat oil in a huge pan or kadai add the kebabs in hot oil and deep fry them on both sides on medium to high flame till golden brown and crispy.
Your authentic and delicious Chapli Kabab is ready to serve.
Serve it hot with your favourite chutney or any dip and ketchup.
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Tips *Always roast the besan or gram flour before using it for this recipe. Roasted besan develops a lovely nutty flavour and a coarse-ish texture which helps alleviate the overall flavour of these mutton kebabs. *If you notice that your kebab mixture has become too moist, then try adding a little breadcrumbs or a boiled mashed potato. This will soak up the excess moisture and prevent the kebab from breaking apart. Be sure to adjust the salt and spice as needed. *Always fry chapli kebabs on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side to make sure the kebabs fry evenly and remain tender and juicy throughout. Frying on high heat will make the outside cook faster while leaving the inside. *Always grease your hands with a few drops of oil before shaping the kebabs to avoid the meat mixture and flour from sticking to your hands.
