🇦🇫 Afghan Cuisine

Kabab-e-Chopan

Shepherd's Kebab

Prep Time 30 min + marinating
Servings 4
Difficulty Easy
Calories 428 kcal

Chunks of marinated lamb grilled over charcoal with onions, tomatoes, and peppers, seasoned simply with salt and Afghan spices. This rustic kebab is the taste of Afghanistan's mountains and open-fire cooking tradition.

Ingredients

  • 600g lamb leg or shoulder, cubed into 3cm pieces
  • 2 onions, quartered
  • 2 tomatoes, quartered
  • 2 green peppers, cut into chunks
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Afghan naan for serving

Instructions

  1. 1 Cut lamb into 3cm cubes. Toss with oil, salt, pepper, ground coriander, cumin, and lemon juice. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  2. 2 Thread marinated lamb onto metal skewers, alternating with onion quarters, tomato pieces, and green pepper chunks.
  3. 3 Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals. The grill should be very hot for proper char and searing.
  4. 4 Grill skewers for 4-5 minutes per side, turning regularly, until the lamb is charred on the outside and pink or medium inside.
  5. 5 Remove skewers from heat and let rest for 3 minutes. The juices need time to redistribute through the meat.
  6. 6 Serve on warm Afghan naan with raw onion slices, fresh cilantro, and a simple salad of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.

Did You Know?

Afghan shepherds have grilled meat over open fires in the mountains for millennia — chapan refers to the shepherd's cloak, linking this food to the pastoral life.

From The Culinary Codex — http://theculinarycodex.com/dish/afghan/kabab-e-chopan/