Chapli Kebab or Chapli Kabab ( ps, چپلي کباب) is a
Pashtun
Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...
-style
minced
Mincing is a food preparation technique in which food ingredients are finely divided into uniform pieces. Minced food is in smaller pieces than diced or chopped foods, and is often prepared with a chef's knife or food processor, or in the case ...
kebab
Kebab (, ; ar, كباب, link=no, Latn, ar, kabāb, ; tr, kebap, link=no, ) or kabob (North American) is a type of cooked meat dish that originates from cuisines of the Middle East. Many variants of the category are popular around the wor ...
, usually made from ground
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...
,
mutton
Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Gen ...
or
chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
with various spices in the shape of a
patty
A patty or burger (in British English) is a flattened, usually round, Serving size, serving of ground meat and/or legumes, grains, vegetables, or Meat analogue, meat alternatives. Patties are found in multiple cuisines throughout the world.
...
. The Chapli Kabab originally comes from the northern areas of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, in particular
Peshawar
Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...
, capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Pekhawri Chapli Kabab is made with beef and is a popular street food throughout
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...
, including Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Originally made with beef in Peshawar, it can now be found with chicken and lamb as well. Depending on region, Chapli Kabab recipe has evolved, adding regional spices to it. But in Peshawar, Chapli Kababs are still prepared with minimum ingredients.
In India, Chapli Kabab can also be found as street food in the cities of
Bhopal
Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...
,
Lucknow
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
,
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
and
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
; where Muslims have a denser population.
Chapli Kababs are broadly consumed in
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
. But it is most popular during the time of
Eid-ul Azha and in
ramadan
, type = islam
, longtype = Religious
, image = Ramadan montage.jpg
, caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...
as part of
iftar
Iftar ( ar, translit=Iftar Ramadan, إفطار رمضان), also known as (from , , 'breakfast'), (), is the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset. They break their fast at the time of the call to prayer ...
.
Chapli Kababs can be served and eaten hot with
naan
Naan ( fa, نان, nān, ur, , ps, نان, ug, نان, hi, नान, bn, নান) is a leavened, oven-baked or tawa-fried flatbread which is found in the cuisines mainly of Western Asia, Central Asia, Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, Ma ...
or as a
bun kebab
Bun Kebab ( ur, ) is a sandwich native to Pakistan, but now available all over the Indian subcontinent. Bun kebabs are a signature in Pakistani metro cities like Karachi and Lahore, but they can be found all over Pakistan. In India, it is eaten ...
.
Origins
Mughal culinary influences in the region popularised a number of kebab dishes, resulting in local recipes such as the Chapli Kebab.
The name ''chapli'' is said to be derived from the
Pashto
Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani ().
Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official languages ...
word ''chaprikh/chapdikh/chapleet'', meaning "flat" – alluding to the kebab's light, round and flattened texture.
Another theory is that the name is derived from ''
chappal
Flip-flops are a type of light sandal, typically worn as a form of casual footwear. They consist of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap known as a toe thong that passes between the first and second toes and around both side ...
'', the local word for sandals – implying the average shape and size of a kebab, which resembles that of a front part of the chappal sole, or it seems to have been flattened by a sandal. Locals mostly agree with the first theory of Chapli being a short version of Chapleet (aka, Chapdikh).
Chapli Kabab is served in thousands of kebab houses throughout
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
and
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
Such eateries have rapidly expanded in other cities as well. Today, the Chapli Kebab is featured on the menu of South Asian restaurants across the world.
Ingredients and preparation
The Chapli Kebab is prepared with raw, marinated mince and the meat can be either beef or lamb/mutton. The main ingredients include
wheat flour
Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ''bread ...
, various herbs and spices such as
chili powder
Chili powder (also spelled chile, chilli, or, alternatively, powdered chili) is the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices (in which case it is also sometimes known as chili p ...
,
leaves, followed by smaller quantities of onions, tomatoes, eggs, ginger, coriander or cumin seeds, green chillies,
corn starch
Corn starch, maize starch, or cornflour (British English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or sou ...
, salt and pepper, baking powder and citric juice, like that of lime or lemon.
The kebabs can be fried shallow or deep in vegetable cooking oil over medium heat. Some chefs fry the kebabs in
lamb fat over wood-fired stoves to lend an organic flavour. This approach is avoided by some gastronomist, citing health-conscious reasons.
Serving
Once cooked, Chapli Kebabs can be served and
garnished with parsley, chopped onions and tomatoes, along with other accompaniments such as various
chutney
A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce.
...
sauces, salad, yoghurt,
pickles
Pickles may refer to:
Dogs
* Pickles (dog) (died 1967), a dog that found the stolen World Cup trophy in 1966
* Pickles (pickleball), a dog often cited as the name origin for the sport of pickleball
* Mr. Pickles, the titular demonic dog in ...
or nuts. The Chapli Kebab is best served aromatic, moist and spicy.
It is considered a specialty of Pashtun cuisine and often served to guests.
The kebab is commonly consumed in meals with bread such as naan, rice dishes such as
Kabuli pulao
Qabeli palaw ( prs, قابلی پلو, ) is a variety of pilaf made in Afghanistan. It consists of steamed rice mixed with raisins, carrots, and beef or lamb. There exists different variations depending on the region.
Serving
Qabeli palaw is co ...
, or wrapped in fast food.
In winters, green tea such as
kahwah
Kahwah (also transliterated as qehwa, kehwa or kahwa) is a traditional preparation of green tea (''Camellia sinensis'') widely consumed in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, some regions of Central Asia.
Preparation
The Kashmiri kahwah is ma ...
may traditionally be served alongside it, while cold drinks are preferred in the summers.
See also
*
List of kebabs
This is a list of kebab dishes from around the world. Kebabs are various cooked meat dishes, with their origins in Middle Eastern cuisine and the Muslim world. Although kebabs are often cooked on a skewer, many types of kebab are not.
Afghanis ...
*
Pashtun cuisine
Pashtun cuisine ( ps, پښتنۍ خواړه) refers to the cuisine of the Pashtun people and is covered under both Afghan and Pakistani cuisines. It is largely based on meat dishes including mutton, beef, chicken, and fish as well as rice and so ...
*
Pakistani fast food
Pakistani cuisine ( ur, , romanized: ''pākistānī pakwān'') can be characterized by a blend of various regional cooking traditions from South Asia, Central and Western Asia, as well as elements from its Mughal legacy. The country's va ...
*
Pakistani meat dishes
*
Pakistani cuisine
Pakistani cuisine ( ur, , romanized: ''pākistānī pakwān'') can be characterized by a blend of various regional cooking traditions from South Asia, Central and Western Asia, as well as elements from its Mughal legacy. The country's va ...
Notes
References
{{Street food
Appetizers
Beef dishes
Goat dishes
Kebabs
Lamb dishes
Pakistani fast food
Pakistani meat dishes
Pashtun cuisine
Street food in Pakistan
Food watchlist articles
Ground meat
Pakistani cuisine
Afghan cuisine
Indian cuisine
Bangladeshi cuisine