Juicy, meaty Kabas are one of my biggest weaknesses. From seekh, to shami to galouti, I would devour them all, if they are made with a good amount of meat. Being a chicken lover, I often find myself drawn towards the kebabs made with chicken, much to the dismay of my father who likes his kebabs with red meat, like mutton. “Chicken was not even considered meat back in the day”, he often tells me. And it is something I have noticed myself, the ‘old-school’ kebab lovers can go on and on about the texture of kebabs, something that is heavily dependent upon your choice of meat. The red meat, will give you denser, richer, and juicier kababs, as opposed to the ones made with lean meat or mock meat.  

The Chapli Kabab is said to have its origins in Peshawar, Pakistan. Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is renowned for its meaty fare. The red meat helps keep them warm in the cooler climate. Chapli Kababs are a popular street food item across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has a good fan-following in Afghanistan, India and Bangladesh too. The typical Peshawari Chapli Kababs would typically comprise Beef as the hero ingredient, but over the years, of course, there have been many renditions of the kebab. In India, the kababs are typically made with minced mutton.  

The word ‘Chapli’ is derived from the Pashto word chaprikh/chapdikh/chapleet, meaning ‘flat’. These kebabs look like a flat meat patty, that are shallow-fried on tawa. You do not require a tandoor or a sigdi to make this kebab. Another quality of this kabab is that it does not use any unnecessary veggies and spices etc. The flavour of meat is the hero here, which is used in generous quantity.  

Chef Sumit Sethi of Crowne Plaza, Okhla New Delhi, gives the classic Kabab his own spin. You can watch the recipe here.  

Ingredients:  

  • 250 kg of Mutton Keema (finely minced)  
  • 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder (crushed)  
  • Pinch of Black Pepper (coarsely ground)  
  • 1 tsp Coriander (coarsely ground and roasted)  
  • 1 tsp Cumin Seeds (roasted and finely ground)
  • 2 Chillies (finely chopped)  
  • 1 Medium Onion (finely sliced)
  • 1 Tomato (finely chopped)  
  • Fresh Mint Leaves (finely chopped)  
  • Fresh Coriander Leaves (handful)  
  • Salt (to taste)
  • 1 Egg  
  • ½cup Ghee or any Cooking Oil  

 

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients with minced meat and knead the mixture well. Keep it aside for 15 to 20 minutes, once mixed.

2. Next, take about 1 ¼ tbsp. of meat mixture in your hand. Place it right in the center of your palm and make a smooth ball. Now, flatten the ball by pressing firmly between your palms. The kebabs are bigger in size compared to other round kebabs like Galouti or Shami. Do not press them too thin.  

3. Heat oil/ghee in a frying pan. When oil is hot, lower the heat and fry kababs until well done.