After reading “The Kite Runner” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini, I became fascinated by Afghanistan, and since then it hasn’t been just a place of war, although unfortunately, it still is today (and many wars have taken place in this land), but also a fascinating, ancient place where children once could play with kites (the national sport).
Afghanistan has an ancient history, where Islam has perhaps played the key role in shaping Afghan society.
Despite the Mongol invasion of present-day Afghanistan in the early 13th century, not even a formidable warrior like Genghis Khan managed to eradicate Islamic civilization.
It is likely that I will never visit Afghanistan, and I will never taste its cuisine.
Afghanistan is known for its high-quality pomegranates, grapes, and sweets, rugby-shaped melons, but it is the Pashtun (the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan), Tajik, and Uzbek customs that have most contributed to forming today’s Afghan gastronomic offering.
In it, we also find the kebab (in Arabic كباب, kebāb, “roasted meat”; in Turkish kebap), but not the more well-known, Turkish (“döner kebab“*), or the seekh kebab, which we have already discussed in relation to Indian cuisine, but other types of kebab:
– The Chapli kebab, today’s recipe, typical of Pashtun cuisine, widely consumed in Kabul and throughout Afghanistan, as well as in Pakistan (Peshawar), consists of minced beef or lamb (traditionally minced by hand with a knife), which is spiced and shaped into flattened patties, fried in a pan with oil or animal fat (often beef or lamb fat).
The traditional chapli kebab is made by frying the kebabs in lamb or beef fat on wood stoves.
– In Afghanistan and Kabul, the jujeh kabab is also consumed, made with grilled chicken cooked on skewers (also very popular in Iran), and the chenjeh kabab, originating from the southeastern regions of Afghanistan, lamb meat also skewered after being marinated in herbs and flavored with various spices.
– And also the seena kabab, made with grilled chicken breast and thighs.
The word “kebab” is essentially of Persian origin: Arab tradition holds that the dish was invented in the Middle Ages by Persian soldiers who used their swords to grill the meat over an open fire.
Here follows the recipe for Chapli kebab (in the video with Magic Cooker), the term “chapli” derives from the Pashto word chaprikh, which means “flat”, referring to the flattened and wide shape of these kebabs, but you also find that on the blog:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 lbs ground beef (or lamb)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tomatoes
- to taste spices (cumin, coriander, chili, ginger)
- 1 to taste egg
- 2 tbsps cornmeal (or wheat flour)
- 1 tbsp dried pomegranate seeds (anardana) (crushed)
- to taste vegetable oil (or animal fat)
Preparation of Chapli kebab:
In a large bowl, combine the ground meat with all ingredients except the tomato slices and oil.
Mix well with your hands to blend the flavors.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the mixture.
With wet hands, take portions of the mixture and shape into discs about 0.5 inches thick and 3 to 4 inches wide.
Gently press a slice of tomato on top of each kebab.
Heat the oil or fat in a large pan over medium heat.
Fry the kebabs for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown.
Drain on absorbent paper.Chapli kebabs can be served and garnished with parsley, chopped onions along with other accompaniments like various chutney sauces, salad, yogurt, pickles, or nuts.
Dispelling Myths About Kebab…
Sometimes when talking about ethnic cuisine there is a bit of reticence and uncertainty about the quality and origin of the ingredients. Traditionally used in Turkey and Greece is lamb, beef, or chicken.
Pork meat is never used, obviously, as this animal is prohibited by the Muslim religion.
The meat is shaped with a knife until it forms a large cylinder. The fattier parts of the meat, thanks to the heat, melt, making the final result even tastier and preventing the meat from becoming too dry.
One of the most frequent criticisms of kebab is that it is not a quality product because it is made with butcher shop scraps including lungs, heart, and other offal, and other scraps like bones and hooves, and seasoned with many spices and large amounts of animal fats, which makes it tastier and more appetizing, but harmful to health.
But when have offal been harmful? And I don’t find that even spices are harmful, quite the opposite.
Very often these are cylinders of frozen meat, so the “kebabber” is required to display the list of ingredients present inside or each of us, not convinced of what they are eating, can ask for it.
Animal fats are not only present in kebab, do we want to talk about cheeses??
Like any food, it should be consumed in moderation, but it cannot be stigmatized just for the usual fear of the “unknown” or for a good dose of “culinary racism”, and above all, those who love to eat it should not be judged harshly.
Like any food, it should be consumed in moderation, but it cannot be stigmatized just for the usual fear of the “unknown” or for a good dose of “culinary racism”, and above all, those who love to eat it should not be judged harshly.
What is the classic kebab we also eat in Italy?
The “classic” kebab, composed of thin slices of lamb, veal, chicken, or turkey (spiced) roasted on a vertical skewer (in the homemade version, in a pan) and consumed as a sandwich in pita bread or flatbread, together with vegetables (onion, lettuce, tomato, cucumber) and sauces (tahina, yogurt), is known as: shawarma or döner kebab.
The “classic” kebab, composed of thin slices of lamb, veal, chicken, or turkey (spiced) roasted on a vertical skewer (in the homemade version, in a pan) and consumed as a sandwich in pita bread or flatbread, together with vegetables (onion, lettuce, tomato, cucumber) and sauces (tahina, yogurt), is known as: shawarma or döner kebab.
Want to try making the classic Kebab at home with Vertical Grill for Kebab, instead of the Chapli kebab?
Want to try making the classic Kebab at home with Vertical Grill for Kebab, instead of the Chapli kebab?
The Recipe for Döner Kebab:
The Recipe for Döner Kebab:
Cut the slices of meat of choice into thin strips (for 4 people, 2.2 lbs of beef, chicken, or lamb) .
Season the meat with Turkish spices such as: parsley, cumin, dill, black pepper, paprika, mint, oregano, and thyme.
Marinate the meat for 20 minutes.
Take a non-stick pan, pour a little oil, and as soon as it starts to heat up, add the meat with the marinade. Cook on high flame for 5 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon because the meat needs to be well browned on all sides.
Or add a chopped onion and cook in the oven at 356°F for 10 minutes
Cut the lettuce into thin strips and the tomato into cubes.
Heat the Arabic-style sandwich or pita on a grill, open it on one side and fill it with the meat, lettuce, tomato, onion (if not yet used) and the yogurt sauce or the tahina.
In the photo, the shawarma with shatta sauce – a variant with different spices of the döner kebab – whose recipe is already on the blog.
In the photo, the shawarma with shatta sauce – a variant with different spices of the döner kebab – whose recipe is already on the blog.
In the photo, the shawarma with shatta sauce – a variant with different spices of the döner kebab – whose recipe is already on the blog.
In the photo, the shawarma with shatta sauce – a variant with different spices of the döner kebab – whose recipe is already on the blog.
