Afghan Burgers: A moody cook’s way to success

For a moody cook like me who lazes around as much as they can before entering the kitchen and would rather resort to the yesternight’s leftovers than recycling them or making something completely from scratch. When they actually make an effort and get their aprons on, it certainly is a big deal. And the biggest motivation that is leading me to share this easy to make recipe was the never ending “Wows” and “Yums” by my family members that came with every bite.

It all started after a late night chat with a friend living in Islamabad who could not help talking about Afghan Burgers that he gets near his locality. However, being a Karachite and never having heard about this wonderful delight, and thinking from my growling stomach, I made a point to try my hands at making this dish, just the next day. And so I did!

Okay, before you judge me while looking at the picture that I claim to be Afghan Burgers, let me make it clear these burgers are actually more like a wrap. So probably that is why they look more like a kebab roll, what we Karachites may call. Nevertheless, below is the recipe that I thought to share with everyone who wishes to make these easy to make snacks at home.

Ingredients:

For bread/roti:

All purpose flour - 1 cup

Whole-wheat flour – 1/2 cup

Salt - 1 teaspoon

Water - As required

Oil - As required

For filling:

Chicken - 1/2 Kg

Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon

Soya Sauce - 1 tablespoon

Worcestershire sauce - 1 tablespoon

Chili powder - 2 teaspoons

Salt - to taste

Black pepper - 1 teaspoon

Oil for frying

(As a secret, I also added a teaspoon from the ready to make masala packets I could find in my kitchen cabinet).

Tomato Sauce:

Tomato Ketchup - 2-3 tablespoons

Chili flakes - 2 teaspoons

Soy sauce - 1 tablespoon

Garlic Mayonnaise:

Mayonnaise - 3-4 tablespoons

Garlic cloves finely chopped - 4-5

French Fries:

Medium Sized potatoes - 2

(Makes 5 Afghan Burgers)

Although you might need to multi-task while preparing these Afghan burgers, nevertheless, everything nicely combined will give you just the right snack to help satisfy your between meals hunger. I do not claim to be a great cook but once I had these made, it was certainly a moment of pride for me. I do not know how do actual Afghan Burgers taste like but these surely were amazing.

Method:

Chicken filling:

Start with chopping your chicken into small pieces that could be easily folded into a wrap, so make sure you have your chicken defrosted and you chop them to make just the right chunks. Next, marinate your chicken pieces with all the mentioned ingredients and set aside for a bit to settle down. Now, once that is done, take out your frying pans and fry in oil, until the chicken is nice and tender. 

Bread/Roti:

Now, the tricky part. You will actually have to make your roti round or else no one marries you. Just kidding! But yes, round roti is a must.

In order to prepare for this, get your dough ready. Mix in all purpose flour and whole-wheat flour together, add in a teaspoon of salt and make sure you add a little bit of oil before you add the water. This will make your bread soft. Next, mix in water and work it until the dough is nice and smooth. Take out your rolling pin and start rolling a piece of dough until it looks fine to be cooked on a pan. You can make at least five medium sized breads with these ingredients. 

French Fries:

These French fries actually go as a filling inside the Afghan Burgers, so make sure that you have them thinly sliced and just the right size to stuff as many as possible in one burger. Fry your French fries on medium heat until golden brown. 

Sauces:

I made two sauces, the tomato sauce and Mayo garlic sauce. The method is simple, just combine all the ingredients for these sauces together and you will have some really great flavours to add to you Afghan Burgers.

Filling Time!

Now comes the fun part. Take a roti, place it on a plate, drizzle some tomato sauce, place some chicken pieces on top, couple them with French fries and then add some Mayo garlic sauce, and roll it up. Preferably, microwave your Afghan Burgers for a while and serve them hot!

Bingo, and give me credits for the “Wows” and “Yums” that you will hear from your family members as they relish this treat. And don’t blame me if you are inundated with farmaish once too often. 

Also published at: http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/15855/afghan-burgers-a-moody-cook%E2%80%99s-way-to-success/