Kebab (Seekh / Chapli)
Also: Seekh kebab, Chapli kebab, Chapli kabab
Charcoal-grilled minced or cubed lamb seasoned with coriander, green chilli and onion, shaped onto skewers (seekh) or pressed into flat patties (chapli).
Identity criteria
- 1Minced lamb (or beef) as the base, well-spiced not bland
- 2Coriander seed and green chilli are signature flavours
- 3Cooked over charcoal — seekh moulded onto skewers, chapli flattened into discs
- 4Onion and fat bind and moisten the mince
- 5Served hot with naan, raw onion and lime
Components
Minced lamb or beefessential
Onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli, fresh corianderessential
Lamb fat or tail fatessentialKeeps the mince moist over high heat
Egg and a little flour (chapli)optional
Coriander seed, cumin, salt; pomegranate seed in chapliessentialCoriander seed defines the Pashtun chapli profile
Naan, raw onion, lime, tomatooptional
Technique
- Moulding onto skewer (seekh)
- Compacts spiced mince so it holds shape over open fire
- Flattening into a disc (chapli)
- Maximises crisp surface area when shallow-fried or griddled over coals
- Charcoal grilling
- Imparts the smoke central to the kebab's character
Form & serving
- Served
- On skewer or as flat patties with bread
- Temperature
- hot
- Portion
- individual
- Pairs with
- naan · raw onion · lime · green chutney
Character
Flavour
Texture
moist, tender mince with a crisp charred crust
Eaten
Sold at roadside grills and bazaars and made for family meals across Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, eaten hot with bread.
When
all-year
Variations & related
Regional variations
- Seekh kebab · Afghanistan / Pakistan
Mince moulded onto skewers and grilled
- Chapli kebab · Peshawar, Pakistan
Flat fried patties with tomato and pomegranate seed
Related dishes
- sibling Kebab
Broader skewered-lamb tradition
- pairs-with Naan
Standard bread accompaniment
Substitutions
Lamb mince → Beef minceadmissible
Standard regional choice, stays authentic
Coriander seed → Omitting spices entirelyinadmissible
Removes the signature flavour, making it a plain meat patty
Common mistakes
- Using over-lean mince so the kebabs crumble and dry out
- Skipping coriander seed and chilli, flattening the flavour
- Failing to rest and bind the mince so it falls off the skewer
- Grilling at too low a heat, steaming rather than charring
Provenance
Skewered and minced grilled meats run across the Persianate world; the seekh and chapli forms are firmly rooted in Afghan and Pashtun cooking, sharing lineage with Iranian kebabs.
Shared by: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran
References
- 1.Afghan and Pashtun culinary tradition
Confidence: high