Chappali kebabs, popular throughout much of Pakistan but originating near its borders with Afghanistan, are beef patties shallow-fried in the fat rendered from the tail of a fat-tailed sheep. If you can imagine a juicy, spicy hamburger cooked in roast beef drippings, you get a general idea: delicious but iffy on the health front. So over the years, I have come up with my own version, a turkey kebab. I serve these kebabs with Thin Raw Onion Rings and the local Peshawari Red Pepper Chutney. You may even put this kebab in a hamburger bun, along with the onion rings and either a good squirt of lemon juice or some tomato ketchup.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 patties

　　2 tablespoons plain yogurt

　　1 pound ground turkey (preferably a mixture of light and dark meat)

　　3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

　　1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds and 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds, crushed lightly in a mortar or put between sheets of foil and crushed with a rolling pin

　　1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint

　　1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

　　1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

　　5 tablespoons olive or canola oil

　　

Step 1

Spoon the yogurt into a small sieve and set it over a cup to drain. Ten minutes will do it, but longer will not hurt.

　　

Step 2

Now put this drained yogurt and all the ingredients except the oil in a bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or as long as 24 hours so flavors meld.

　　

Step 3

Divide the meat into six portions and form balls. Flatten the balls to make six 3 1/2-inch clean-edged patties.

　　

Step 4

Pour the oil into a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in as many patties as will fit in easily and fry about 1 minute or less on each side or until browned. Turn the heat down to medium low and continue to cook the patties, turning frequently, until the juices run clear when the patties are pressed. Make all the patties this way and serve hot.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.