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.
I’ve recently started making Indian food using one your books (Quick and Easy Indian Cooking), and both the food and the book are mostly great. Many of the recipes, however, like this one, include yoghurt, which I cannot eat (nor any other dairy product). What would you recommend as a non-dairy substitute?
I’ve tried leaving it out, which sometimes works and sometimes leaves the dish lacking, and in some cases I’ve tried to substitute coconut milk, which tends to overpower every other flavor.
Hi David, There are many ways to get out of using yoghurt but all are not the same. It depends upon the dish. Let me know the name of the dish and the cookery book it is in, and I will tell you how to make it dairy-free. Madhur
The book I’ve been using is Quick and Easy Indian Cooking. Recipes I’ve either made modifications to with varying success or not made due to dairy content include:
Easy chicken kebabs
Smothered lamb
Quick chicken korma, which I have made leaving out the cream, which worked somewhat well; next time I plan to try using corn starch to thicken the sauce
Silken chicken
Chicken in a cilantro, spinach, and mustard sauce, from which I left out the yogurt, turned out great
Chicken breasts baked with green chiles and onions
Fish fillets in a curry sauce
Grilled fish steaks
Mushroom curry, where I tried substituting coconut milk for the yogurt, to disastrous result
Several of the things I have made have become new favorites, especially turmeric rice and “the most delicious meat cubes.” In general I’ve found the book to be a tremendously useful entry point into preparing a new cuisine.
Hello; loving the book and I too have a similar quesiton. I only ever buy low fat yoghurt, if I use this do I still need to strain? Thank you in anticipation.