Dish of Beef Paties Chapali
(click to enlarge)

Beef Patties Chapli


Afghanistan / Pakistan   -   Chapli Kebabs
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 12 pat
***
1-1/2 hrs
Prep		 Authentic Afghan and Pakistani recipes vary a lot in the relative amounts of the ingredients and the exact spicing - see Comments.

1-1/2
1
1
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11
3/4
4
1/2
1
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1
1
1/2
1/2
1/2
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ar
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ar
ar
ar
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#
lrg
T
----
oz
c
cl
in

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t
T
t
t
T
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Beef, Ground (1)  
Egg
Flour, allpurp
-- Vegies
Scallions
Cilantro (2)
Garlic
Ginger root
Chili, green (3)  
-- Spices
Cumin Seed
Coriander Seed
Garam Masala (4)
Chili Flake (5)
Salt
---------------
Oil for Frying (6)
-- Garnish, any of
Onions, chopped.
Tomato Slices
Cilantro Leaves
-- Serve With
Lemon Wedges
Pita Bread
Cilantro Chutney (7)
Yogurt
Prep   -   (45 min)
  1. Chop the GROUND BEEF some to make sure it is really ground thoroughly.
  2. Chop all VEGIES items very fine, but not to mush, they should have some texture. It is allowed to use a food processor here, if you are careful not to get things too fine.
  3. Separately dry pan toast Cumin Seed and Coriander Seed Let cool well, then grind together all Spices items.
  4. Mix together All Items Except Oil and massage until everything is very even and smooth. 5 minutes of massaging is recommended. Form into Patties 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick and about 4 inches across. In frying, they will get thicker and the diameter will be reduced. Let rest for an hour if you have time.
  5. Prepare all your Garnishes and Accompaniments.
Run   -   (40 min)
  1. In a skillet, heat Oil over fairly high heat and fry Patties until cooked through, but not cooked to death. The outside should be quite dark, but the inside still tender and moist. Move them around in the pan or they'll make a cool spot under their center and not fry evenly.
  2. Serve Hot with Lemon Wedges and your choice of the other suggested accompaniments.
NOTES:

  1. Ground Beef:

      I use 73% lean, and certainly not over 80% lean. Aside from better flavor, Central Asia is definitely not a "low fat" region - but do not be distressed, the Low Fat Diet has been totally discredited.

  2. Cilantro:

      That's a lot of Cilantro, but use the stems too, which saves a lot of time.

  3. Green Chili

      In Pakistan and Afghanistan this might be an Indian Jawala Chili, quite hot. That type of chili is hard to find in North America, so here we use a Serrano, similarly hot. For details see our Indian Chilis page.

  4. Garam Masala

      This spice mix is made many ways. For this recipe, a Kashmir version is appropriate, but a Punjab version will do fine. See our recipes Garam Masala - Kashmir and Garam Masala, Punjab.

  5. Oil:

      Most recipes have you fry in about 1/8 inch of oil. A few specify a lightly oiled pan, and some grill the patties over charcoal. I usually fry in 1/8 inch of oil - you'll need to pour off the excess now and then.

  6. Cilantro Mint Chutney

      This type of chutney is often used with fried food throughout the region. See our recipe Cilantro Mint Chutney.

  7. Comments:

      These patties originated in Afghanistan, but are also very popular in northern Pakistan. Our recipe contains just enough Egg and Flour so the patties hold together well, but not so much as to dampen the flavor. Some recipes ask for a lot more of one or the other. Some recipes call for about 10 oz of Red Onion rather than the Scallions, but may still include a couple of Scallions. The amount of Cilantro varies greatly, but most recipes us a lot. Many recipes include various amounts of Pomegranate seeds, whole and/or crushed to add a sour note. Some recipes include Tomato. The name probably comes from the Pashto word chaprikh, meaning "flat", but another theory is that it is based on a local name for a sandal.
  8. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch tt=to taste ar=as required
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