Adventures in Cooking: Chapli Kebab

Majida Rashid

“Oh shoot... What a tease. Hyping up the Chapli and dropping beef patties,” said a friend after reading my column that was published on August 17, 2020.

When I’m revisiting a past experience I get completely immersed in it and become oblivious of my surroundings. At times it takes a while even to remember where my coffee mug is.

That was the case with my previous column on ground beef. I could feel the sunshine, see myself waiting for the next bus at the bus stop of Saddar Bazaar, Peshawar. Even the roads and the kebab shop became alive. So did the taste of the thin layer of fat on my palate that appeared after eating fresh Chapli kebab.

I also remembered that these kebabs were not ideal to bring back to the hostel. The bus ride was about half an hour long and it stopped only at the main road. The kebab shop was located on a side street. After getting the bundle of fresh kebabs wrapped in the previous day’s newspaper, we had to walk to the stop and wait for the bus. By the time we returned to our room, ghee, hydrogenated fat used for frying, would solidify and form a thin whitish layer on the kebabs. Heating them made everything greasy and messy. Hence the patties were a more common choice because they remained crispy even after a long time.

In the absence of kebab shops I?have to make them at home. I buy meat from a Middle Eastern butcher. Letting out the blood, in Halal meat, helps get rid of the smell found in ground meat sold in supermarkets.

The beef should be of prime quality. It should look healthy red, contain regular fat ratio but be void of sinew. Coarse texture is ideal. Ask the butcher to use the grinder disk with the biggest holes.

Dried pomegranate seeds, green chilies and corn flour are available either in Middle Eastern or Indian stores. Chilies sold in these stores are not as hot as similar Mexican chilies found in regular markets.

Because I don’t have a pan similar to the ones used by Kebabi, kebab maker, of Saddar, I use two frying pans. One with a little oil and the other with enough oil to cover the kebabs up to the sides. A really large frying pan can also be used by titling it on one side.

Although the recipe looks rather elaborate, it’s just a matter of getting used to.


Chapli Kebab

Ingredients

30-35 stalks of fresh coriander with leaves

1 – 1-1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds

2 - 4 long and thin green chilies

1-1/2 lb beef

1/2 - 3/4 cups finely diced onions

1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salt to taste. Start with 1/2 teaspoon

1-2 tablespoons corn flour

1 – 2 tablespoons dried pomegranate seeds

1 – 2 medium red but firm tomatoes, thinly sliced

Cooking oil for frying.

Directions

Wash and dry the coriander stalks. Cut them where the leaves start and use for something else. Chop the stalks with leaves very fine.

Place the coriander seeds on a cutting board. Put the wide end of either a cleaver or a wide-blade knife on the seeds and press down with your palm. Repeat until coarsely crushed.

Wash, dry and halve the chilies lengthwise. It’s best to wear gloves before cutting as it can sting the skin. Seeds contain heat so they can be removed for milder flavor. Thinly slice the chilies.

Mix the first eight ingredients and knead for half an hour. This will separate white tissue strings with a blob of fat at one end. Leave the fat and discard strings.

Add the pomegranate seeds, mix and cover the bowl. Leave aside for an hour. The resting period prevents the meat from shrinking during frying.

Slightly oil and heat one pan. Heat enough oil for deep frying in the second pan.

Gently mix in the tomatoes and make eight spheres. Place one on the pan with little oil. Press with fingers into a thin oval shaped kebab. Transfer into the other pan after it’s seared on one side. Deep fry until dark brown on both sides. Remove and serve hot with Naan and black tea.

2 – 3 servings