Afghan Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Meat Patties)

About This Recipe

Afghan Chapli Kebab is a real, traditional Afghan dish, known as Spiced Flat Meat Patties. Flattened, coarsely textured ground meat patties studded with tomato and coriander, pan-fried until crisp-edged, a beloved street food.\n\nChapli kebab reflects the shared Pashtun culinary heritage found across Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, distinguished by its distinctly flat, irregular shape and the addition of tomato directly into the meat mixture.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Afghan home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 800 gground beef or lamb
• 1tomato(finely diced)
• 1yellow onion(finely diced)
• 2 tbspchopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tspground coriander
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspchili flakes
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 2 tbspcornstarch
• 1egg
• 4 tbspneutral oil, for frying

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the meat

   Combine ground meat, diced tomato, diced onion, cilantro, coriander, cumin, chili flakes, salt, cornstarch and egg, mixing thoroughly until well combined.

2. 2

   Rest

   Let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up slightly.

3. 3

   Shape

   Shape the mixture into thin, wide, irregular patties, about 1 cm thick.

4. 4

   Heat the oil

   Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat.

5. 5

   Fry

   Fry the patties for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deeply browned and crisp at the edges, with the juices from the tomato caramelizing slightly.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve hot with naan and a simple onion or tomato salad.

Variations

• •

  Some regions add crushed walnuts to the mixture for extra texture.

• •

  A version using a mix of beef and lamb offers a different flavor balance.

• •

  Serve with a side of yogurt for a cooling contrast.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions