The name is explained two ways, as the Pashto chaprikh, flat, or as chappli, the sandal it resembles, and either describes it: a broad, thin patty of beef mince, wheat flour, onion and tomato, sharpened with crushed coriander seed, dried pomegranate seed and green chilli, and fried in a wide pan until the edges crisp. It is Pakhtun food first, the kebab of Peshawar’s bazaars and of eastern Afghanistan, and its birthplace is claimed on both sides of the Khyber: Peshawar names Takht-i-Bahi, to the north-east, while Afghan cooks place it around Jalalabad. Purists fry it in lamb fat over a wood fire, never on gas. At home, a heavy pan and beef dripping get you most of the way. Eat it hot, with naan and yoghurt.
Zone: Silk Road Table
INGREDIENTS
- 450 g beef mince (about 20% fat)
- 4 tbsp wholemeal or chapati flour
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 2 medium tomatoes (finely chopped)
- 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds (crushed)
- 1 tsp anardana (dried pomegranate seeds)
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- ½ egg (beaten)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp oil
- beef dripping (lamb fat or ghee, for frying)
METHOD
- Put everything except the frying fat into a large bowl and mix thoroughly by hand.
- With wet hands, shape into 11 to 13 balls, then press each one out into a thin, flat patty about 12cm across.
- Heat a shallow layer of fat in a wide heavy frying pan over a medium heat.
- Fry the kebabs a few at a time for 3 to 4 minutes a side, pressing them flat with a spatula, until well browned and crisp at the edges.
- Serve hot with naan and plain yoghurt.
NOTES
UK adaptation: Beef mince with about 20 percent fat; ask a butcher if the supermarket packs are lean. Anardana (dried pomegranate seeds) from any South Asian grocer. Chapati flour or wholemeal flour. Beef dripping or lamb fat for frying, or ghee. Serve with naan-e-afghani. Everything else widely available.
US adaptation: 80/20 ground beef. Anardana from Patel Brothers. Whole wheat flour. Beef tallow or ghee for frying. Everything else widely available.
Cook’s note: Use mince with plenty of fat and keep the patties thin. Lean or thick, they dry out before the outside has crisped.
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