Chapli Kebab

Chapli Kebab

Beef
Afghani, Main Dish

Serves 4

Despite the name, this South Asian street food is not a skewer of grilled meat. These are patties of boldly seasoned ground meat, fried on a flat surface until brown and crisp on both sides. These make a delicious and easy meal slipped into warm pitas along with fresh garnishes and a tangy tzatziki.

Ingredients #

  • 1 lb 80% ground beef
  • 1 med red onion, half finely chopped, half thinly sliced and reserved separately.
  • 1/2 chopped fresh cilantro, plus 1/4 cup lightly packed leaves
  • 3 med garlic cloves, minced finely
  • 2 Fresno or jalapeño chilies, stemmed, seeded and minced
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp Garam Masala
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour or chickpea flour
  • 1 large egg, beated
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 Persian or small English cucumber
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • Pitas or other flatbread to serve
  • Sliced tomatoes or other fresh vegetables to serve

Instructions #

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment. In a medium bowl, combine the beef, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, garlic, chilies, coriander, Garam Masala, chili powder, cumin, 1 scant tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix until well-combined. Add the flour and egg and mix with your hands until very well combined.

With lightly greased hands, form the mixture into 8 evenly size balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Press down on each to form round patties no thicker than 1/4”. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.

Grate 1/2 of the cucumber into a small bowl. Mix in the yogurt, lemon juice and a tbsp of olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. If you’d like, some fresh chopped mint or dill is also great in this. Set this tzatziki aside.

Put a 12” well-seasoned skilled over medium-high heat and toast the pitas until warmed through. Keep them warm in a kitchen towel or tortilla warmer, and set aside. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in the skillet until shimmering and just on the edge of smoking. Add half the patties and cook until well-browned on the bottoms (3-5 min), occasionally pressing with a spatula to keep them flat. Flip and cook until deeply browned on the other side (another 3-5 min). Transfer to a plate and tent with foil. Cook the remaining patties the same way with an additional tbsp of olive oil.

Serve with the warm pitas, sliced onion, cilantro, tzatziki and sliced tomatoes.