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Peshawari chapli kabab served on a light grey plate.
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Chapli Kabab Recipe

These chapli kababs are juicy, tender and so flavorful with the addition of anar dana, crushed coriander and cumin seeds.
Course Appetizer, Appetizers/Side Dish, Burgers/Main Meals, Snacks
Cuisine Pakistani, Pakistani/Indian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 385kcal

Equipment

  • Chopper

Ingredients

  • 1 kg beef keema
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste
  • 1 tablespoon ginger

Spice Mixture:

  • 2 tablespoon anar dana or anar dana powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

Fresh Aromatics:

  • 1 small tomato seeds removed
  • 1 green chilli
  • 1 small onion finely chopped excess moisture removed
  • 1 handful of coriander

For Binding:

  • 1/2 cup gram flour besan
  • 1 egg

Optional

  • 1 to mato sliced into rounds

For Shallow Frying

  • 1/4 cup oil

Instructions

Prepare the Spice Mixture:

  • Place the coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a small spice grinder or coffee grinder. Grind until coarsley ground. You can also use a mortar and pestle to do this.
  • Mix with the rest of the spices: anar dana, garam masala powder, red chili flakes and salt. Set aside.

Dry Roast the Besan (Gram Flour):

  • In a small frying pan, roast the besan on medium low heat (while stirring) for 3-4 minutes. When the besan is fragrant and slightly darkened, transfer to small bowl and set aside to cool.

Prepare the Fresh Aromatics:

  • Slice the tomato, remove the seeds and chop into cubes.
  • Peel the onion, chop into quarters, and then using a chopper or small blender, chop the onion very finely. Squeeze the excess moisture with your hand. Discard the excess liquid.
  • Finely chop the fresh coriander leaves and green chili.

Prepare the Meat Mixture:

  • In a medium mixing bowl, add the keema.
  • Add the egg, roasted besan (gram flour), spices, tomato, onion, green chili, coriander, and ginger garlic paste. Mix well until fully combined.
  • Using your fist, knead the meat for 1-2 minutes until it is mixed completely and holds together.
  • If the meat mixture is too soft, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of additional roasted gram flour.

Shape the Kababs:

  • Taking medium sized balls of meat, flatten them into a flat oval shaped disc. Flatten the kababs with your hands, to achieve the desired shape and size.
  • Pro tip: The kebabs will shrink in size as they cook and release moisture. So make them slightly bigger than you would like.
  • Place on parchment paper.
  • Optional: You can add sliced tomatoes on each kabab and press it in gently with your hands, for extra flavor and juiciness.

Fry the Chapli Kabab:

  • Heat about 1-inch oil in a frying pan to medium-high heat.
  • Gently place the patties, and fry on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Be careful not to over cook the kababs, as they will become dry.

Notes

  • Ground beef: Use meat with at least 25-30% fat content. You can also use chicken mince or ground mutton.
  • Ginger garlic paste: Use homemade or storebought.
  • Anar dana: You can find this at Indian stores, and it is an integral flavor for this recipe. If you don't like the crunchy texture it adds to the kababs, you can grind it along with the coriander and cumin seeds.
  • Gram flour/Besan: Traditionally corn flour or cornmeal is used as a binding agent. However I always have besan in my pantry so that is what I used. You can also use atta or wholewheat flour.
  • Storage Instructions: You can store the cooked kababs for 2-3 days in the fridge. You can also stored the cooked kababs in the freezer for 1-2 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 938mg | Potassium: 805mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 520IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 5mg