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Chickpea chapli kebab
Peshawari chapli kebab made with chickpeas: flat, crisp patties with crushed coriander, pomegranate seed and a slice of tomato
Chapli kebab comes from Peshawar, where Namak Mandi and the Qissa Khwani Bazaar are lined with cooks frying giant flat kebabs in shallow iron pans; the name comes from chaprikh, flat in Pashto. This chickpea version keeps everything that makes a chapli kebab taste right: coarsely crushed coriander seeds, dried pomegranate seeds (anardana) for sourness, chilli flakes, green chilli, onion, tomato and a little maize flour to bind it, with a slice of tomato pressed into each one so it chars in the pan. Serve them with naan, sliced onion and a sharp green chutney. The usual mistake is blitzing the chickpeas to a smooth paste in a processor; the kebab needs texture, so mash by hand and leave some pieces. Chef's tip: press them really thin, about 1 cm, and with ragged edges; the thin edges go crunchy, which is the whole point of a chapli.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the kebabs
To serve
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 1 lb cooked chickpeas in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or your hands until most are broken but some halves remain. Avoid a food processor; a smooth paste makes the kebabs dense and pasty.
Step 2: Add 1 red onion, 1 tomato, 2 green chillies, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, ⅔ oz fresh coriander, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp dried pomegranate seeds (anardana), 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp red chilli flakes, ½ tsp garam masala, 1 tsp salt and 4 tbsp maize flour (makai ka atta). Mix and squeeze with your hands for a minute until it holds together when pressed. Rest for 10 minutes so the maize flour soaks up moisture.
10 minStep 3: Divide into 8 balls. With wet hands, flatten each one on a piece of baking paper into a thin round about 1 cm thick and 10 cm across, with rough edges. Press a slice of 1 tomato into the centre of each.
Step 4: Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a large heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat until a crumb of mixture sizzles at once. Slide in 3–4 kebabs, tomato side down, and fry for 3–4 minutes without moving them, until the underside is dark golden and the tomato is blistered.
4 minStep 5: Turn carefully with a wide spatula and fry for 3 minutes more, pressing them flat, until both sides are crisp and the edges crunchy. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the rest of 3 tbsp sunflower oil.
3 minStep 6: Serve hot with 4 naan, 1 onion and green chutney or a minty yogurt raita (leave out the raita for vegan).
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chickpea chapli kebab take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of cooked chickpeas?
- Cannellini or butter beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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