Chapli Kebab
Afghanistan, Beef
Ingredients
1 pound 80% lean ground beef
1 medium red onion, half finely chopped, half thinly sliced, reserved separately
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus ¼ cup lightly packed leaves
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 fresno or jalapeño chilies, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon garam masala
½-1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder or cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or chickpea flour (see headnote)
1 large egg, beaten
kosher salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons neutral oil or ghee, divided
flatbread, to serve
yogurt, to serve
sliced tomato, to serve
Directions
Line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment.
In a medium bowl, combine the beef, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, garlic, chilies, coriander, garam masala, chili powder, ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix until well combined.
Add the flour and egg, then using your hands, mix until the ingredients are thoroughly combined; the mixture will be slightly sticky.
With lightly greased hands, form the mixture into 8 evenly sized balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Press down on each to form patties no thicker than ¼ inch.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium, heat 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering.
Add half of the patties and cook until well browned on the bottoms, occasionally pressing them with a spatula to keep them thin and flat, 3 to 5 minutes.
Flip and cook, pressing the patties, until deeply browned on the second sides and the centers are no longer pink when cut into, another 3 to 5 minutes; adjust the heat as need if the patties brown too quickly or slowly.
Transfer to a plate and tent with foil. Cook the remaining patties in the same way using the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
Serve with the sliced onion, cilantro sprigs, flatbread, sliced tomato and yogurt.