According to my knowledge, the two main groups of people in Afghanistan are Pashtu and Dari, I couldn’t just ignore that fact! So, here I am presenting you with a dish from the Pashtu region. Think the main difference of this kind of kebab to other types is the use of tomato pieces in the meat which gives it a bit of juicier “texture”. Yes, this is definitely going to be repeated! I suppose that the meat can be nicely cooked on barbecue as well.
Ingredients
500 g minced beef (10–15% fat) — or lamb
1 small onion grated then squeezed dry
1 medium tomato deseeded & finely diced (+ extra slices for topping)
2–3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (or parsley)
1–2 mild green chillies, finely chopped (optional)
2 tbsp coarsely crushed coriander seeds (lightly toasted)
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 egg
2 tbsp fine cornmeal or wheat flour
Rapeseed oil, for shallow-frying
To serve: naan or tunnbröd, lemon wedges, tomato–onion salad, yoghurt
Steps
1 Mix: Combine beef, onion, tomato, herbs, chillies, crushed coriander seeds, cumin, pepper, salt, egg and cornmeal. Mix gently; don’t overwork.
2 Shape: Oil hands lightly. Form thin, wide patties (10–12 cm). Press a couple of tomato pieces onto the top.
3 Fry: Heat 3–4 mm rapeseed oil in a skillet over medium–high. Fry 3–4 min per side until deep brown and crisp at edges; cooked through.
4 Serve: Squeeze lemon over and serve with naan, salad and yoghurt.
Notes Cornmeal helps crisp the edges. Lamb works beautifully; keep some fat for flavor. Keep it mild by skipping chillies.
Lambros' kitchen travellog 