Lamb Chapli Kabab (Spiced Lamb-Chickpea Flour Kabab)


My month of cooking Indian food is about to conclude and honestly, I'm a little sad. There are still a few more things I'd like to explore, especially for dessert. But maybe I can come back to Indian cuisine in future and take another crack at it.
My mom (& her sisters) in India make amazing meat kababs, especially the ones mixed with lentils. The kababs can very easily stand alone with bread (or rice) and a quick salad for a whole meal. The reason these kababs are called 'chapli' is because it refers to its slipper-like shape. I didn't really get a proper slipper shape on mine, but it doesn't really matter.


I really wanted to grill the kababs today but given how cold it is outside, I decided to broil them instead. A side effect of broiling inside made my whole apartment smell like my Indian home. I have a very strong smell memory and the smell reminded me of weddings in Hyderabad, India, where they'd bring out freshly baked crisp-chewy tandoor bread with piping hot kabab and cucumber-radish-tomato salad. Even though there would be other delicious things on the table, this is what I gravitated towards first as a kid. Turns out it is still something I enjoy immensely, and it got the approval of my non-Indian husband. Win, win!


Recipe adapted from Mangoes & Curry Leaves by Jeffrey Alford & Naomi Duguid
Makes 16 kebabs, serves 4 as main course with bread/rice & salad or 6-8 as a side dish

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, grated
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 serrano chiles, finely minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 cup chickpea/garbazo bean flour
1 lb lamb

Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients really well in a medium bowl. Use both your hands to knead it well so it becomes a super cohesive mass. Refrigerate for 1-12 hours. Preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up) and place a rack on it. Make 16 balls from the kabab mixture and form them into oblong patties, approximately 2"X3" and 1/2" thick. Place them on the rack in the prepared pan and broil for 10 minutes, with 5 on each side. Serve with whole wheat bread, yogurt-cilantro sauce and a radish salad. We enjoyed it with some pita bread, greek yogurt-cilantro-serrano sauce and a radish salad. Yum!
The pita bread I make deserves a post of it's own that hopefully I'll get to someday.


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