Swat Chapli Kabab Recipe (Famous Since 1978, Fried in a Big Pan)
This chapli kabab is made at a famous Swat shop that, according to the video caption, has been open since 1978. The mince is pressed meat (beef or mutton), mixed by hand with finely chopped onion, coriander, a crushed spice mix of coriander seeds, ajwain, onion seeds and pomegranate seeds, tomatoes, green chillies and red chilli, and fried in a huge pan over a fire. The video shows the spice list but not the amounts, so the recipe card marks them as not stated.
Serves: 4 people (our estimate) | Prep: about 10 min (our estimate) | Cook: our estimate (not stated in the video)
Difficulty: Easy (our estimate) | Best for: street-food lovers, Eid, dawats
Heat level: medium (our estimate)
Watch the Swat Chapli Kabab Video
What Makes This Swat Chapli Kabab Different
Pressed mince. The video says to take pressed (not loose) mince and mix it a lot, because the more it is mixed, the better the kababs hold.
A crushed spice mix. Crushed coriander seeds, ajwain, onion seeds and dried pomegranate seeds, as listed on screen.
Tomatoes and onion drained. The chopped onion and tomatoes have their water drained before they go in.
Fried in a big pan. The kababs are fried over a wood fire in a very large pan.
Ingredient Notes
- Mince: beef or mutton, pressed, not loose.
- Mixing: mix by hand for a long time; the caption stresses this.
- Draining: drain the water from the onion and tomatoes.
| Ingredient | MinceLarge batch | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kabab mixture | ||
| beef or mutton mince | not stated | pressed meat; weight not stated |
| onion | not stated | finely chopped, water drained; amount not stated |
| fresh coriander | not stated | chopped; amount not stated |
| tomatoes | not stated | finely chopped, water drained; amount not stated |
| green chillies | not stated | chopped; amount not stated |
| Spices | ||
| coriander seeds | not stated | crushed; amount not stated |
| carom seeds (ajwain) | not stated | crushed; amount not stated |
| onion seeds | not stated | crushed; amount not stated |
| dried pomegranate seeds (anardana) | not stated | amount not stated |
| red chilli powder | not stated | amount not stated |
| Frying | ||
| oil or fat | not stated | for frying; amount not stated |
Amounts are from the video and recipe card. Items marked * are our estimate.
How to Make Swat Chapli Kabab
1. Mix the mince and onion
Take pressed mince and mix in the finely chopped onion by hand.
2. Add the spices
Add the chopped coriander and the crushed spices (coriander seeds, ajwain, onion seeds and pomegranate seeds) and mix well.
3. Add tomatoes, chillies and red chilli
Add the finely chopped tomatoes and green chillies, then the red chilli powder, and mix until the mince is even.
4. Shape and fry
Shape the kababs and fry them in a large pan of hot oil or fat over a fire until deep brown.
5. Serve
Serve the chapli kababs hot.
Simple Chapli Kabab (Easy Home Version)
Ingredients
Method
- Take pressed mutton or beef mince and mix in the finely chopped onion by hand.
- Add the chopped coriander and the crushed spices (coriander seeds, ajwain, onion seeds and pomegranate seeds) and mix well.
- Add the finely chopped tomatoes and green chillies, then the red chilli powder, and mix until the mince is even.
- Shape the kababs and fry them in a large pan of hot oil or fat over a fire until deep brown, then serve.
Video
Notes
Swat Chapli Kabab Problems and How to Fix Them
- The kababs fall apart: mix the mince longer, and drain the onion and tomato water.
- The kababs are dry: do not over-fry; keep some fat in the mince.
- The kababs are pale: fry on a strong fire in hot fat.
Serving and Storing
Serve hot with naan and chutney. Shaped, uncooked kababs can be frozen and fried straight from the freezer.
Swat Chapli Kabab FAQs
Which meat is used?
Beef or mutton mince.
Why drain the onions and tomatoes?
Their water makes the mixture loose.
How long should I mix?
The video says the more you mix, the better it holds.
More Recipes
- Peshawari chapli kabab: a restaurant chapli kabab for 2.5 kg of meat.
- Mutton chapli kabab: a 500 g mutton version.
- Beef chapli kabab: a beef version from Khan Jee.
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