Ready for something different for dinner? How about some Indian/Pakistani-inspired food?
Chicken chapli kebabs are pretty popular in Pakistan and South Asian regions. They are basically little patties made from ground chicken mixed with a blend of South Asian spices and shallow-fried. Serve with some mixed salad greens and diced tomatoes, a side of pita bread or naan and a simple traditional raita (yogurt dip) and dinner is served!
I visited a food truck that came to my work parking lot a few years ago and they served these along with freshly made naan (flat bread) and other traditional Indian foods. The line was always long but I’d always stand in line. These things would sell like hot cakes! You considered yourself lucky if you got some before they ran out during the lunch hour. They are so good! I wanted my husband to try them, so I thought, surely these are not that hard to make at home!
I started looking up recipes on how to make them and even asked the food truck owner what kind of spices to use. He suggested the Shan brand Chapli Kabab spice mix. I found it on Amazon and ordered several boxes. Now, these do have a little kick of spiciness to them, but nothing crazy. The first time I made these, I used an entire box of the spice mix on one pound of ground chicken and well, let me say this. . . my husband and I didn’t dare go too far away from the bathroom. Our systems just weren’t accustomed to these new spices. From that moment on, I only use a half a spice bag to one pound of chicken!
I developed my own recipe and raita sauce since I try to eat a little more low carb and omitted things I didn’t like. Instead of using breadcrumbs, I used flaxseed meal. I would buy a pre-made naan at my grocery store or a flat bread from Aldi that worked just fine, even though it wasn’t the freshly made naan from the food truck. The real star here are the kebabs!
Word to the wise, since I’m a lazy cook, these do take some time to prep and make, which is why I rate it a 5 on the Messy Meter. It involves frying oil, which is always a dang mess, and lots of chopping, but it’s totally worth it for some yummy in my tummy!
You can really make them however you want but this is how I prefer them. So here’s my take on this dish.
Now, you try it!
Tell me what you thought? Was it too spicy? Not enough spice? Comment below and let me know how you would change this to make it your own.
Chicken Chapli Kebabs
PREP TIME: 30 min.
COOK TIME: 15 min.
YIELD: About 10-12 patties
INGREDIENTS:
Patties:
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 lb. ground chicken ( or turkey)
- 1 egg. Beat it (like Michael Jackson)
- 1 tomato, finely chopped
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 Tablespoon garlic paste
- 1/2 bag – 1 full bag (depending on how much spice you prefer) of Shan Brand Chapli Spice Mix
- 3/4 cup Flax seed meal (or 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs)
Serve With:
-
- Green salad mix
- Diced tomatoes on top
- Diced cucumber
- Chopped onion
- Homemade Naan bread or store bought.
Raita (Yogurt Dip)
- 1/2 shallot, finely minced
- 2 cups chopped fresh cilantro
- 1-1/2 cups whole-milk yogurt (not Greek, you can also use Sour Cream instead)
- 1 Tablespoons of chopped fresh mint (or 1 teaspoon of dried mint)
- 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
- Salt/pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Patties:
Place oil in large skillet and turn to medium-high heat.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients EXCEPT oil. Go ahead and get dirty and use clean hands and mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Form them into little patties, about 4 inches in diameter.
Drop patties skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Cook patties in the hot oil in batches until charred, 4 to 6 minutes per side.
Serve warm with raita dip and salad.
Raita (Yogurt Dip):
Combine all ingredients into a bowl and store in an air tight container. This can be made 1 day in advance. Cover and chill. Serve cold.
What’s the Messy Meter?
Is the juice worth the squeeze? That’s what I ask myself before investing time in making a recipe. How many dishes am I going to have to clean up after this? That’s the real question.
Messy Meter 5/5
Shit, you should have just ordered a pizza. Grab some wine and get the kids to do the dishes.
Messy Meter 4/5
Second guessing why the hell you made this.
Messy Meter 3/5
Dish pan hands level. Come on, you can do this, it was worth the mess.
Messy Meter 2/5
Another day. Another dish. Typical mess.
Messy Meter 1/5
No sweat. Fantastic, more time to do the laundry (sarcastic eye roll).
Messy Meter 0/5
No dishes. AHHH yes,... pulled out the fine china of paper plates and plastic forks!