CHAPLI KEBAB

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! 

I recently happened to try chapli kebabs at a friend’s 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! 

Why is the kebab called chapli?

Originally from Pakistan, chapli kebabs derive their name from the word chaprikh, which means 'to flatten' in the Pashto language. These kebabs have a flat, round shape (like the popular smashed burgers) and are made with ground beef meat, veggies, and ground and powdered spices. 

What does chapli kabab taste like?

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. Even though these Pakistani kebabs are originally made with minced beef meat, I have subbed it with ground mutton as it’s more easily available in India. 

Ingredients You'll Need to Make Chapli Kebab

• 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: Dry roasted 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 don’t have access to the former. 
• Salt: For flavour and seasoning.
• Oil: Any neutral flavoured oil with a high smoke point such as peanut, canola, or rice bran works well for this recipe.

Richa’s top tips to make the best chapli kebabs

• 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.  

Frequently asked questions about chapli kebab

1. How to prevent the kebabs from breaking? 

Most often, kebabs tend to break apart due to excess moisture. Always make sure to remove the seeds and excess water from onions and tomatoes before adding them to the mixture. Refrigerating the mixture is another step you shouldn’t skip as it allows the mixture to set and makes it a lot easier to shape and fry later. Additionally, when frying the kebabs allow one side to cook completely before flipping it and avoid moving the kebab around. 

2. What is a substitute for gram flour? 

A lot of recipes prefer coating the mixture in corn flour instead of besan. Corn flour does a great job at giving these ground meat kebabs a crispy exterior. Some recipes also use wheat flour, but I wouldn't recommend that as it will definitely change the taste and texture of the kebabs. 

3. Can I make chapli kebab with chicken? 

Absolutely! If you’re making these kebabs with chicken, then I would recommend using meat from the thighs as they remain tender throughout the frying process. Also, chicken cooks faster than mutton so reduce the frying time to about 2-3 minutes on each side. Since chicken has a lesser amount of fat, the colour of the kebabs may not be as dark as the ones made with mutton, but the rest of the recipe remains the same. 

4. How to serve Chapli Kebab? 

Chapli kebabs are best served hot with a side of coriander chutney. If you want to make this into a complete meal, then you can serve it the traditional way with some naan, veggie raita and the coriander chutney. 

Other mutton recipes you’ll love 

• Easy mutton curry (lamb curry in a pressure cooker)
• Mutton yakhni pulao
• Kerala mutton stew (ishtu) with coconut
• Mutton keema or spiced lamb mince curry

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