JUICY AFGHAN BURGERS - CHAPLI KEBAB

Food sytlist, Waheed Ghilzai

By Humaira

My first memory of eating chaplikebab was when I was in my 20s at the home our good friend Jawade Khan who is from Pakistan. The burger patties were juicy and very flavorful, and tasted amazing with challaw. I was hooked.

A chapli kebab in Afghanistan, and in much of the middle world, is essentially a small amount of ground meat formed into patties, and then grilled. While most kebabs are cooked and served on skewers, these chapli kebabs are not. Chapli means sandal in Dari, so a chapli kebab is meant to be as thin as the sole of a sandal. This is not exactly an appetizing image but someone must have thought it a good description.

Jeja (my mom) is not big on making kebabs. But, my sister Nabila is a great cook with many traditional as well as innovative Afghan-inspired kebab recipes. I have always made chapli kebab using the recipe that Jawade Khan shared with me, which calls for tomatoes. But Nabila informed me that an Afghan style chapli kebab does not use tomatoes. I took advantage of her visit during mother’s day so she could share her chapli kebab recipe with me.

I am always nervous about feeding Jeja my Afghan dishes. She usually points out one or two things I could have done differently. Fortunately she LOVED this chapli kebab. Not only did she rave about it, she asked for the recipe and asked me how to cook the meat; a high compliment. So, if it’s good enough for Jeja, you all must try this recipe for your warm weather barbecues.

Juicy Afghan Burgers

Chapli Kebab

2 lbs. ground beef (no less than 20% fat)

1 ½ cups finely diced green onion (both white and green parts)

1 cup finely chopped cilantro (stems are fine)

1 egg

1 ½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1 tbsp. ground coriander

½ tbsp. finely chopped garlic

½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)

Fire up the grill until it’s nice and hot.

In the mean time mix all ingredients in a large bowl and mix by hand for at least 5 minutes. Pretend it is bread dough and knead the meat. Set the timer so you won’t cut the time short. It’s very important that all the ingredients are mixed well and the meat takes on a smooth texture.

Divide the dough into eight pieces and roll into balls. Pat the meat to form burgers that are about 1/4-inch thick and 4 inches in diameter, or larger if you like. Cook each side on your BBQ for about 5 minutes or until its cooked all the way through and juicy. While there is no “medium rare’ in the Afghan vocabulary, be careful not to overcook them. If you don’t have a bbq, no worries, simply cook the kebabs in a lightly oiled skillet for about 5 minutes per side.

Serve with warm pita bread, salad and a dollop of yogurt.

Makes 8 patties

Except where otherwise noted, all content on this blog is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license.

MINI LAMB KEBAB WITH CILANTRO MINT CHUTNEY - Kebab-e-Gosfand

By Katie

When Humaira and I throw a dinner party, we opt for dishes we can make ahead of time. The point of having friends over, after all, is to enjoy their company, not be squirreled away in the kitchen fussing over canapés.

These mini lamb kebabs are just perfect for entertaining. They’re prepped and marinated a day ahead, and then grilled before guests even cross the doorstep, freeing you up to enjoy the party without fretting that something’s burning in the kitchen.

Truth be told, these mini kebabs aren’t properly Afghan. Traditionally the lamb would be cut into larger chunks, speared onto long, heavy metal skewers and served in a heap on a large platter for the main course. Teeny little finger food isn’t exactly the Afghan way. However, the meat, the marinade and the cooking are all very true to the cuisine.

The chutney that accompanies kebabs in Afghanistan has no relation to the sweet and savory, fruit-studded preserves with which most of us are familiar. The Afghan version is a thin, herbaceous, acidic sauce.I tinkered with the traditional recipe by adding fresh mint to the mix. It makes a perfect tangy counterpart to the rich lamb.

Serve the skewers on their own or with little wedges of pita or nan bread for a mini kebab sandwiches.

Mini Afghan Lamb Kebabs with Cilantro Mint Chutney

Serves 10 to 12 as an appetizer or 4 to 6 as a main course

4 large cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup plain yogurt

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 ½ tsp. ground turmeric

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 lbs. boneless lamb, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Small wooden or metal skewers*

Ground sumac (optional)

Cilantro Mint Chutney (recipe below)

In a medium bowl mix together the garlic, yogurt, spices, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the lamb and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

An hour before you are ready to cook, pull the lamb from the refrigerator. If you are using wooden skewers immerse them in water for 20 minutes.

Spear 3 to 4 pieces of lamb on each skewer and set aside until you are ready to cook. Grill the kebabs over a medium-high flame until cooked through but still pink in the center. If you don’t have a grill, cook the kebabs under a broiler in your oven.

Coat the bottom of your serving platter with a few tablespoons of chutney. Set the kebabs on top of the chutney with a little crock of the remaining chutney in the center. Lightly sprinkle sumac over the top if you like.

*If you can’t find small wooden skewers, cut the larger ones in half using a sharp chef’s knife.

Cilantro Mint Chutney

½ cup roughly chopped green onions, white and green parts

1 cup roughly chopped cilantro

½ cup roughly chopped fresh mint

½ cup white vinegar

½ tsp. Kosher salt

½ tsp. black pepper

Whirl all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Except where otherwise noted, all content on this blog is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license.