Peshawari Hand-Chopped Chapli Kebab

Method

1. Cut the beef and suet into 2 cm pieces, spread them on a tray and freeze for 20 min until firm at the edges; cold meat chops cleanly instead of smearing. Chop with a heavy knife (two knives are even better) until the pieces are the size of rice grains, or pulse in a food processor in 1-second bursts. Stop before it turns into a paste.

   Add in this stepBeef brisket or chuck, in one piece 340 gBeef suet or hard beef fat, cold 40 g

2. Slice the red onion thinly and toss it with the vinegar to pickle. Toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 1 min 30 sec, then crush coarsely in a mortar with the pomegranate seeds.

   Add in this stepRed onion ½White vinegar 2 tbspCoriander seeds 1½ tspCumin seeds 1 tspBlack peppercorns ½ tspDried pomegranate seeds (anardana) 1 tsp

   medium-low heat

3. Finely chop the onion and squeeze it dry, deseed and chop half the tomato, and chop the chillies, ginger, garlic and coriander. Add them to the chopped meat with the spices from step 2, the chilli flakes, the fenugreek crumbled between your palms, salt, maize flour and beaten egg. Knead for 2 min, then chill for 30 min.

   Add in this stepOnion (medium) 1Tomato (medium) ½Hot green chillies 2Fresh ginger 10 gGarlic cloves 2Fresh coriander (cilantro) 10 gRed chilli flakes 1 tspDried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) 1 tspSalt 1 tspFine maize flour (makki atta) or cornflour 2 tbspEgg 1

4. Make the chutney: blend the mint leaves, coriander, chilli, lemon juice and yogurt until you have a smooth green sauce.

   Add in this stepFresh mint (for the chutney) 10 gFresh coriander (for the chutney) 10 gGreen chilli (for the chutney) 1Lemon ½Plain yogurt 60 g

5. With wet hands, divide the mixture into 4 portions and press each out on plastic to 13 to 14 cm across and 8 mm thick. Ragged edges are good: they give more crisp bits. Slice the rest of the tomato thinly and press a slice into each centre.

   Add in this stepTomato (medium) ½

6. Heat the frying dripping in a heavy 26 cm cast-iron pan over medium-high heat for 3 min, to about 175 °C: a scrap of mixture should sizzle hard straight away. The fat spits, so lay the kebabs in away from you.

   Add in this stepBeef dripping (tallow), for frying 4 tbsp

   medium-high heat

7. Adjust to medium heat and fry for 3 min; when the edges are deep brown, turn with two spatulas and fry for 3 min more, spooning hot fat over the top as they cook. Don't crowd the pan (number of batches: 1). They must be cooked right through with no pink.

   medium heat

8. Rest the kebabs on a rack for 1 minute so the bottoms stay crisp. Serve on warm naan with the mint chutney and pickled onions.

   Add in this stepNaan 2