Chicken Chapli Kabab
A home-style recipe for Chicken Chapli Kabab. Makes 8 kababs, ready in about 40 minutes, with steps for the usual way and for the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 500 g boneless chicken, in pieces
- 1 onion, finely chopped and squeezed dry
- 1 tomato, seeds removed, finely chopped
- 3 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp crushed red chilli
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and crushed
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp dried pomegranate seeds (anardana), crushed (optional)
- A handful of fresh coriander, chopped (optional)
- 1 tomato, in thin slices, to press on top (optional)
- About ½ cup oil, for shallow frying
Missing something?
- No chicken? Use mutton or beef (cook longer), or soya chunks.
- No tomato? Use 1 tbsp tomato paste per tomato, or 2 tbsp yogurt for tang.
- No onion? Use spring onions, or a little onion powder (less depth).
- No green chilli? Use red chilli flakes or extra red chilli powder.
- No eggs? Use paneer or firm tofu in curries and rice dishes.
The usual way: fried
- Mince the chicken in a chopper until fine.
- Mix in the onion, chopped tomato, green chillies, egg, ginger-garlic paste, salt, spices and coriander. Knead for 2 minutes. If you can, chill it for 30 minutes; this makes shaping easier and isn't included in the time.
- With wet hands, shape into 8 large, thin, round kababs about 1 cm thick. Press a slice of tomato into the top of each one.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Fry the kababs in batches for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crisp at the edges and cooked through.
- Serve hot with naan, onion rings and green chutney.
Tip: Chicken mince is softer than beef; if the kababs are hard to shape, add 2 tbsp cornflour / roasted gram flour (besan).
In the air fryer (about 35 min)
- Mix minced chicken with tomato, onion, green chilli and egg and flatten into thin patties.
- Brush with oil and air fry at 200°C for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked through.
Air fryer tip: Use a paper liner with holes. The patties are soft until they firm up in the heat.
Air fryer basics: Heat the air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes first. Don't fill the basket more than halfway. Brush or spray a little oil. Turn or shake halfway. Use paper liners with holes. Air fryers vary, so check a few minutes early the first time.