Chappali kebabs, popular throughout much of Pakistan but originating near its borders with Afghanistan, are actually beef patties (rather than skewered meat) shallow-fried in the fat rendered from the tail of a fat-tailed sheep. If you can imagine a juicy, spicy hamburger cooked in roast beef dripping, you get the general idea: delicious but iffy on the health front. Over the years, I have come up with my own version, using turkey meat.

I serve these kebabs with Thin Raw Onion Rings and Peshawari Red Pepper Chutney. You may even put this kebab in a hamburger bun, along with the onion rings and either a good squirt of lemon juice or some tomato ketchup

Makes 6 kebabs

* 2 tablespoons natural yoghurt
*450 g/1 lb minced turkey, preferably a mixture of light and dark meat
*¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
*1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds and 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar, or put between sheets of foil and crushed with a rolling pin
*4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
*½ teaspoon crushed red chilli flakes
* 1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
* 5 tablespoons olive or rapeseed oil

Put the yoghurt in a small sieve and set it over a cup as you prepare the rest of your ingredients (10 minutes will do, but longer will not hurt).

Put the strained yoghurt and all the remaining ingredients except the oil in a bowl. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or as long as 24 hours, so that the flavours mingle.

Divide the meat into six pieces and roll into balls. Flatten the balls to make six clean-edged patties 9 cm/31⁄2 inches. Put the oil in a large frying pan and set over a medium–high heat. When hot, put in as many patties as will fit easily and fry for about 1 minute on each side, or until browned. Turn the heat down to medium–low and continue to cook the patties, turning frequently, until the juices run clear when the patties are pressed. Cook all the patties in this way and serve hot.