AI-generated image
Bun kebab
Karachi's anda bun kebab: a spiced chana dal and potato patty fried in egg, in a soft bun with chutneys
Bun kebab is Karachi's own street burger, sold from carts on Burns Road and outside colleges from late afternoon into the night, each one fried to order on a huge flat tawa. The vegetarian version is the oldest: a soft patty of chana dal and potato spiced with cumin and chilli, dipped in beaten egg so it gets a lacy, golden coat, then tucked into a buttered bun with tangy tamarind chutney, green chutney, onion rings and shredded cabbage. It is messy, cheap and loved by children and grown-ups alike. Most people make the mixture too wet, and the patties fall apart in the egg; mash the dal and potato while dry and steamy, not with their cooking water. Chef's tip: toast the buns cut side down on the same tawa after the patties, so they pick up the spiced egg and butter.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the patties
To assemble
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put the soaked 5 ½ oz chana dal (split chickpeas) in a pan with water to cover by 3 cm and simmer on a medium heat for 15–18 minutes, until a grain squashes easily between your fingers but still holds its shape. Drain very well and leave in the colander for 5 minutes to steam dry.
18 minStep 2: Mash the dal roughly with 2 potatoes, then mix in 1 small onion, 2 green chillies, ½ oz fresh coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp garam masala and 1 tsp salt. The mixture should hold a firm ball; if it feels sticky, chill it for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Shape into 6 flat patties about 1.5 cm thick and the width of the buns.
Step 4: Beat 2 eggs with a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl. Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a large frying pan or tawa over a medium heat.
Step 5: Dip each patty in the egg, letting the excess drip off, and lay it in the pan. Spoon a little extra egg over the top so it spreads into a lacy frill. Fry for 2–3 minutes each side, adding the rest of 2 tbsp sunflower oil as needed, until deep golden and crisp at the edges.
6 minStep 6: Split 6 soft burger buns, spread with 1 oz butter and toast cut side down in the hot pan for about 1 minute until golden.
2 minStep 7: Spread the bottom halves with 6 tbsp tamarind chutney and the tops with 6 tbsp green chutney. Add a patty, 1 onion, 3 ½ oz white cabbage and 1 tomato if using, close and press lightly. Eat at once, wrapped in paper.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 370 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 47 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bun kebab take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of small onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Doubles
Doubles are Trinidad's favourite street food, sold from carts at dawn on corners from Curepe to San Fernando and said to have started in Princes Town in the 1930s. Two pieces of bara, a soft, puffy fried flatbread coloured with turmeric, are piled with soft curried chickpeas (channa), then spooned with sweet tamarind sauce, cool cucumber chutney, shado beni sauce and as much pepper sauce as you dare ('slight' or 'heavy'). They're messy, cheap and wonderful, eaten standing up from a square of paper. These are different from Indian chole bhature: the bara is light and yeasty, the channa is cooked very soft in Caribbean curry, and the toppings are sweet, sour and fiery all at once. Chef's tip: keep the bara dough very soft and wet, and handle it only with oiled hands. Stretch each ball thin over your fingers and slide it straight into the hot oil, so it puffs light and stays soft instead of turning into a crisp puri.
Lemongrass tofu banh mi
Bánh mì is Saigon's favourite street food: an airy, thin-crusted baguette split and stuffed with pickled carrot and daikon (đồ chua), cucumber, coriander and chilli. At vegetarian stalls near the city's pagodas the meat is swapped for sticky, caramelised lemongrass tofu, as in this version. Eat it for breakfast or lunch, warm, with a glass of iced coffee. Chef's tip: warm the baguette in a hot oven until the crust crackles when you squeeze it, and pull out a little of the soft crumb, so every bite is crisp shell, juicy filling and herbs in balance.
Thai bean burger
A Thai-flavoured veggie burger: butter beans are blended with fresh coconut, spring onions, coriander, roasted peanuts and red curry paste into coarse patties, shallow-fried until crisp and stacked in toasted buns with lettuce, onion and a little sweet chilli sauce. Filling, crunchy and full of flavour. Serve with a salad or chips.