Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty)
A flat, disc-shaped Pashtun patty of coarsely minced beef packed with coarsely crushed coriander, pomegranate seeds, chilli, and tomato, shallow-fried crisp at the edges.
Afghan (Pashtun) · medium · serves 4
prep 30 min · cook 20 min
~508 cal · 33g protein · 26g carbs · 29g fat · 4g fiber · 9g sugars · 8g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
↓ Jump to Recipe
AI-generated illustration
Chapli kebab is the signature kebab of the Pashtun lands straddling eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, and it is eaten widely across Afghanistan as an Afghan chapli kebab. The name comes from the Pashto word for flat: rather than a thick patty, it is pressed wide and thin so it fries fast, crisps at the edges, and stays juicy in the middle.
What sets it apart is what goes into the meat. Coarsely minced fatty beef (or lamb) is worked with coarsely crushed, not powdered, coriander seeds and cumin, dried pomegranate seeds (anardana) for a tangy note, red chilli flakes, green chillies, cilantro, and little pieces of fresh tomato. A binder of cornmeal gives the crisp edge and holds the disc together without egg, and long kneading develops the natural stickiness that keeps it from breaking.
The kebabs are shallow-fried, traditionally in beef tallow at the Namak Mandi stalls of Peshawar, and served hot with naan, sliced onion, and fresh chilli.
Saved recipes and passport stamps are kept on this device. Sign in to keep them across your devices and leave reviews.
Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
1 lb coarsely ground beef (20 percent fat)
1 large onion, finely chopped and squeezed dry
1 medium tomato, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp dried pomegranate seeds (anardana), coarsely crushed
2 tbsp coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp red chilli flakes
3 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/4 cup cornmeal (maize flour)
to taste salt
1/4 cup , for shallow-frying
Hard to find? beef tallow or ghee - beef tallow is the traditional Namak Mandi frying fat and adds real depth, but ghee brings dairy and tallow is animal fat; plain oil keeps it simplest
4 portions naan and sliced onion, to serve
Instructions
1
Coarsely crush the pomegranate seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds together in a mortar, keeping visible pieces rather than a powder.
✎ Chef’s note
The coarse crush of the coriander and anardana is the whole texture and identity of chapli kebab, so do not grind them to dust.
2
Knead the ground beef (or mashed chickpeas and mushrooms) with the salt for about 5 minutes until it turns sticky and stringy.
3
Work in the crushed spices, chilli flakes, ginger-garlic paste, onion, cilantro, and green chillies, then rest the mixture for 30 minutes.
4
Just before frying, mix in the chopped tomato and the cornmeal until the mixture is cohesive and holds its shape when pressed.
✎ Chef’s note
Add the tomato only at the end and squeeze it dry first, since extra moisture makes the kebabs break apart in the pan.
5
With wet hands, press the mixture into flat, wide discs about half an inch thick, making a slight dip in the centre so they cook evenly.
6
Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat and shallow-fry the kebabs for 4 to 5 minutes a side until deep brown with crisp edges.
7
Drain on paper and serve hot with naan, sliced onion, and extra green chilli.
Pashtun cooking of eastern Afghanistan and Peshawar.
Ratings & reviews
Cooked it? Rate this dish:
No account needed. Sign in to leave a full review with a comment.
Cooked it?
Kept on this device, no account needed. Sign in to leave a review and keep your passport across your devices.
No reviews yet, be the first to cook it.
🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Kabul. Kabul cooks the food of the Silk Road crossroads: long-grain rice pilafs layered with carrot and raisin, dumplings under garlicky yogurt, and eggplant fried soft and dressed with mint. Yogurt, dried mint, and coriander appear on almost everything.
🗺️
Afghanistan. The details are where Kabuli pulao lives: the carrots are cut into matchsticks and the raisins plumped, both fried in sugar separately and laid over the rice rather than stirred through it. Mantu, the steamed dumplings, come under yoghurt and a split-pea sauce; aushak are the leek-filled cousin; and the bread is naan-e Afghani, slapped long and oval onto the wall of a tandoor.
🌍
Asia. Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, and its food spans the delicate seasonality of Japanese washoku, the chili-fired curries of India and Thailand, and the wheat-and-lamb traditions of Central Asia. Rice, noodles, soy, and fermentation recur across its regions, while ancient spice routes and religious traditions shaped distinct grammars of flavor. Whether from a street-cart wok or a monastery kitchen, eating is deeply communal and ritual-rich.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Afghanistan
Kabuli PulaoAfghanistan's national dish: steamed rice piled over lamb and crowned with candied carrots and raisins.
KhaginaAfghan eggs cooked into a soft, spiced tomato base, a quick, warming Kabul breakfast.
MantuSteamed dumplings of spiced beef and onion topped with garlicky yogurt and a lentil-tomato sauce, an Afghan favorite.
Browse all Afghanistan recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Mortar and pestle.
Storing it: Best straight off the heat. Leftovers keep 2 to 3 days refrigerated and reheat well in a hot oven rather than the microwave.
Make it a Afghanistan meal
Qymaq ChaiDrink
FirniDessert
Bolani (Stuffed Flatbread)Lunch
Similar dishes from around the world
TibsiEritrea
KapanaNamibia
MishkakOman
Shuwa (Home-Oven Version)Oman
ĆevapiBosnia & Herzegovina
KleftikoCyprus
Cuisine
Diet
Gluten-Free Recipes from Around the World
Dairy-Free Recipes from Around the World
Nut-Free Recipes from Around the World
Egg-Free Recipes from Around the World
Pork-Free Recipes from Around the World
Gluten-Free Dinners from Around the World
Dairy-Free Dinners from Around the World
Nut-Free Dinners from Around the World
Egg-Free Dinners from Around the World
Frequently asked questions
What is Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty)?
A flat, disc-shaped Pashtun patty of coarsely minced beef packed with coarsely crushed coriander, pomegranate seeds, chilli, and tomato, shallow-fried crisp at the edges.
Where does Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty) come from?
Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty) is a Afghan (Pashtun) dish from Kabul, Afghanistan.
Can Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty) take to make?
About 50 minutes total (30 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking), serving 4.
Get the Sunday Spin
One dish from somewhere in the world, in your inbox every Sunday. No spam, just dinner inspiration you can cook that day.