This week on Cheap Eats, our co-founder Arva took us to Satwa, where a new spot has opened up for chapli kababs, the flattened meat patties that are a staple of Pakistani and Afghan street food.
What’s This Week’s Cheap Eat?
Kabab Al Madina offers an array of chapli kababs, including beef, lamb, chicken, and camel. However, the standout is the Nali kabab, enriched with bone marrow for a decadently rich flavor. Serving alongside the kababs is piping-hot tandoori bread, fresh from the oven, and a delectable raita that pairs perfectly with the kababs. And to wash it all down, you can have a soothing cup of Pashawari green tea for just 5 dirhams. The best part is that you can get this delicious meal for a very cheap price, ranging from 9 to 17 dirhams.
You can find Kabab Al Madina on Google Maps here.
What Their Chapli Kababs Look Like
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Tune In
Tune in to the segment using this audio recap or check out the transcript below.
Transcript
Jono:
It’s Dubai 92, Jono and Nats. This is the big breakfast every Wednesday. We try and catch up with Frying Pan Adventures to find out someplace we can head to eat that’s not gonna cost us a whole stack of cash for this.
Nats:
And today we’re catching up with Arva who’s going to tantalize our taste buds with something delicious as per usual. What have you got for us this week?
Arva:
Alright, so many episodes ago we had spoken about chapli Kababs, which is basically this flat Kabab that is kind of deep fried in a way, it’s made on a special kind of an iron griddle and you need to go all the way to Sharjah, you need to sit through all that traffic. Well, you don’t need to do that anymore because as of a couple of months ago, one of the best chapli Kabab spots has opened up in Satwa and it’s called Kabab-Al-Madina. And what I love about this menu is that it is only focused on chapli Kabab and they have every kind of chapli Kabab. So, they have for example not just the beef Kabab but they give you what’s called Domba which is an Australian style Australian lamb Chapli Kabab.
Arva:
They even have chicken chapli Kabab which I don’t know how I feel about that, but they also have camel meat chapli Kabab. So that’s an interesting twist to the whole thing.
Jono:
You even have a camel spicy. Wow. That’s impressive
Nats:
I’m looking at pictures of this. It looks so good.
Arva:
Yeah. I have a menu in front of me too. Now this is the one that is the exceptional one, the one that I haven’t really seen in any other place which is a Nali Kabab. Nali is basically bone marrow.
Nats:
Oh, I love bone marrow.
Arva:
Yes, so what they’re doing is they’re taking these thick glossy chunks of bone marrow and they’re threading it through the meat and then they’re frying it and it is fantastic. As you get like this juicy meat and then suddenly this thick golden chunk of nali. I mean, that is pure gold embedded into your kabab. And what I love is, it’s not an overdose of garam masala it is just the perfect level of spice so the meat really shines through. You can actually see the pomegranate seeds in there as well just a brilliant kabab. The best part is the raita on the side, I mean that stuff is so well made, they have not just thrown it in as an afterthought, it’s well spiced, the color of the raita itself is a dead giveaway, these guys have put thought into it and they make fresh bread on-premises, that is a win because you get this crunchy tandoori bread that comes right out of the oven and for five dirhams you can get their Pashavari green tea which is a whole leaf green tea and it is the perfect way to wash down that really meat-rich meal.
Jono:
Look at the price point on this. This is literally cheapest chips. This is, I mean, I know Satwas six dirhams shawarma are the power for the course, but I mean, we’re talking anywhere between 9 and 17 dirhams for the most expensive dish on there, the mutton or the camel is 17 dirhams.
Arva:
Yes, and that includes the bread, it includes the raita and that’s for what they call is a regular sized, uh, chapli, but you have the option of upgrading to a larger one, which I don’t know. I mean, I just don’t see anyone being able to finish that.
Nats:
Haha, challenge accepted.
Jono:
They haven’t met Nats, clearly. They clearly haven’t met her.
Arva:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jono:
What, give us the name of the place once again and where we can check it out.
Arva:
It’s called Kabab Al Madina and it is in a back alley of Sattwa. You’ll see a little window and you can actually watch them make your chapli kababs right there.
Nats:
Some of the best food can be found in Satwa. I’ve been known to say, you know, Ravi’s is my favorite. And now I know that I’m going to have to go and do a little walking tour to get this chapli Kabab as well.
Jono:
A top tip as always. Arva, thank you so much for joining us this week. Check them out on Instagram at Frying Pan Adventures, where you can see all the food tours that are available. Arva, thank you.
Arva:
Thanks, you guys have a scrumptious week ahead.
Find out where to find Bubbly Moroccan Donuts in Dubai here.
