Peshawari Chapli Kebabs with Tomato & Coriander

⏱ 45 min · Serves 4

Flat, lacy-edged beef patties from Peshawar, crackling with crushed coriander seed, pomegranate and juicy tomato. Shallow-fried until the edges frill and char, they're astonishingly juicy — pile into warm naan with mint yoghurt and raw onion rings.

Per serving: 492 kcal · 31.0g protein · 11.0g carbs · 36.0g fat

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince (20% fat, ideally coarse)
• 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes — 1 finely chopped, 1 sliced into rounds
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 20g fresh coriander, chopped
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds, coarsely crushed
• 1 tbsp dried pomegranate seeds (anardana), crushed
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp gram flour (besan), lightly toasted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 4-5 tbsp ghee or beef dripping, for frying
• To serve: naan or flatbread, thinly sliced red onion, mint yoghurt, lemon wedges

Method

1. Toast the gram flour in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until it smells nutty; tip out and cool.
2. In a large bowl combine the mince, onion, chopped tomato, green chillies, fresh coriander, crushed coriander and cumin seeds, anardana, chilli flakes, black pepper and salt.
3. Add the toasted gram flour, egg and lemon juice. Mix and knead with your hands for 3-4 minutes until sticky and well bound. Chill 20 minutes.
4. Divide into 8. With wet palms, flatten each into a very thin patty about 12cm across and 5mm thick — thin is the whole point. Press a tomato round into the top of each.
5. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the kebabs in batches, 3-4 minutes on the first side without moving them, until the edges frill and crisp.
6. Flip carefully with a wide spatula and fry 2-3 minutes more, spooning hot ghee over the tops. Add more ghee between batches.
7. Rest on a warm plate for 2 minutes, then serve in warm naan with raw onion, mint yoghurt and a hard squeeze of lemon.