When cultures collide: A Northeasterner, a Punjabi, and the perfect Mutton Chapli Kebab

It’s amazing how a long-standing dispute gets resolved within seconds when things fall into the right perspective. The dispute here is, or was, about the number of whistles (of the pressure cooker, of course) required so mutton gets cooked before it’s placed on the plate. My Punjabi husband thinks mutton pieces need to melt in the mouth. I, a true blue Northeasterner, love my meat… well, solid and meaty; pieces that allow me to sink my teeth in.

“Most hard-core meat eaters put emphasis on the cut of the meat. They like it with less masala so as to retain the flavour and the texture. Tender yes, but not too soft that the meat loses its property. Then there are those who prefer a spicy, softer texture, that melt-in-the-mouth kind. The cut of the meat does not matter all that much.” These words of wisdom come from Arvind Kumar, Executive Chef at Park Plaza, Zirakpur as we sit at Sarson, the newly opened restaurant, and discuss his signature dish — Mutton Chapli Kebab.

That phrase again – melt-in-the-mouth! It starts to make sense. Well, it’s not my fault that I love my meat well-endowed with meaty properties and not my husband’s fault that he loves it softer and creamier. It’s actually the cultural DNA that accounts for our different taste buds. For, I don’t think any self-respecting Northeasterner would like their meat to melt in the mouth!

Having resolved my domestic dispute, it is my turn to take a keen interest in his Chapli Kebabs. Chef Arvind is a wonderful chef and a great host. He is only too happy to share the history associated with the kebab.

Chapli Kebab originated in the Pashtun region, specifically Peshawar, and its name comes from the Pashto word chaprikh, meaning flat. One school of thought says the kebab was invented for the British soldiers who were posted in the region. Since Chapli has meat, wheat and eggs in it, it served as a wholesome meal for the soldiers.

According to another school of thought, since the Pashtun region borders Afghanistan and saw the predominance of Turkish and Persian influence, Chapli Kebab was born out of that cultural amalgamation. Yet another theory suggests that it’s a creation of the Pashtuns from the present-day Afghanistan-Pakistan region. It takes its name from the word chapli from Dari, a dialect spoken in Afghanistan.

Whatever maybe the theory of origin, the kebab has won over foodies from Afghanistan to Pakistan to India to Bangladesh.

Chef Arvind uses boneless pieces of a lamb leg and lamb fat to make a coarsely ground keema. The ratio of 80:20 is just enough to make his Chapli tender and juicy.

As he puts roasted coriander, cumin, finely chopped onions, garlic, tomatoes, green coriander, mint, green chilly, red chilly powder and garam masala into the mix, and lets it rest for a while, he explains how his version of Chapli is different from the original.

“In the original variety, eggs and flour are used as the binding agent. I have taken out the egg from the original mix and present it as a sunny-side-up on top of my Chapli. The flour is again taken out from the kebab mix and presented in form of a bite-size flaky bread which forms the base of the Chapli. Another major deviation is that pomegranate seeds are used liberally in traditional Chapli Kebabs, which impart the kebab its characteristic tangy crunch. I don’t add pomegranate seeds into the kebab mix, but make a chutney out of it,” says Chef Arvind, as he first rolls the keema mix into balls and then flattens it into round-shaped kebabs. Another component that adorns the platter is tamarind and kishmish chutney. As he coats the kebabs with a layer of breadcrumbs and places them on a pre-heated tawa, the fat sizzles and the room is filled with aroma that can make any meat lover drool. The caramelisation of the kebabs brings out a smile on his face. It’s the smile of a man who knows that he has nailed it once more!