Crispy on the outside and melting in mouth soft on the inside, these Dahi Kebab is a North Indian vegetarian specialty. It's unlike any variety of veggie kebabs/ patties you had. And if you never tried Dahi Kebabs before, it's time you check the detailed VIDEO and try this delicious treat.
What is Dahi Kebab?
The first thing that will probably come to your mind when you think of Kebab is meat. But Dahi Kebab is vegetarian and it's unique. Key Ingredient of Dahi Kebab is hung yogurt! Dahi in hindi is Yogurt and hense the name.
I learned of these North Indian special Vegetarian Dahi ke Kebabs just couple years back. Not sure how I never tried these when I used to live in India.
Well, now I make it quite often because these are just so delicious and quite easy to prepare.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Ingredients I added in Dahi Kebab
Hung Yogurt - This is the key ingredient, so you need very thick yogurt that you need to hung in muslin cloth to drain out any excess water. Typically, 4 hours is enough, but I leave it tied up in muslin clothes for overnight in the fridge.
Paneer - You want good quality soft paneer. So if you can make homemade, you will get the best texture of the Dahi Kebab. But you can use store bought too. I used Haldiram's paneer as that is the best I can find out here.
Rice Flour/ Chickpea Flour/ Corn Flour/ All purpose flour - You can use either of these, but a little portion just to bind the mixture together. Keep in mind to not add too much as that will make the texture of kebabs, dry.
The texture of the mixture will be sticky, but when you try to shape, it should hold the shape. Don't make the mistake of adding too much flour.
Bread Crumbs - Bread crumbs also helps to hold the shape and I use it to quote the kebabs just before frying to get the texture outer texture.
Spices and Herbs - I added very little spices as I prefer this kebab mildly spiced and want the taste of paneer with yogurt to shine through. But do feel free to add more spices if you like. I also added some chopped cilantro and mint for the refreshing flavors.
Cashew - Roasted cashew adds a richness to the kebab and a mild sweetness too. You can avoid if you have nut allergy
Fried Onion - I used store bought fried onion, but you can, you make some at home and use that too. Fried onion adds a mild sweetness to the vegetarian kebabs, which works perfectly with the yogurt that goes in the mixture.
Can you add vegetables to the Kebab?
You definitely can, but I avoid, as I want the taste of yogurt with paneer to show off. You can add veggies, make sure you grate finely.
The mixture of this kebab is sticky and fragile to shape. That is how you want, so you get the soft interior texture of the kebab. So keep that in mind when you add veggies.
Shaping and Frying Dahi Kebabs
The best trick to follow while shaping these dahi kebab is to wet your hand with water. The mixture if sticky and wetting your hand will make it easy. Watch the video to understand better.
I shallow fried the kebabs in oil on a heavy bottom skillet. I didn't try baking, but will do that next time and update the blog post if it comes out as good as the fried version.
Reheating the left over Dahi Kebabs
To reheat the left over dahi ke kebabs, just brush little oil on a skillet at medium heat and layer the kebabs. Let it warm for 2 minutes on each side.
Because of the super soft texture of these kebabs, if you microwave it, then it turns soggy.
These Delhi style, Dahi Ke Kebabs are a delicious treat for special occasions. The video will show you how effortless it is to prepare if you plan in advance to hang the yogurt.
Melting in the mouth, Dahi Kebabs will soon become your go-to appetizers or snack.
Dahi Kebab
Ingredients
- 1 and ¼ cup thick plain yogurt
- 6 oz/ 170 g paneer (grated)
- 15 to 20 fresh mint leaves
- 6 cilantro springs (use stems and leaves)
- 15 cashews
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- ¼ cup rice flour
- ½ cup bread crumbs (¼ cup will be used to coat before frying)
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry mango powder
- ⅓ cup fried onion
- oil to shallow fry the kebabs
Instructions
- Layer a muslin cloth on a colander and drop the thick yogurt on it. Bring the edges of the cloth and squeeze out the excess water. Tie the cloth around the yogurt and leaves it in fridge overnight to drain out more water.
- Next day, when you are ready to prepare the Dahi Kebabs, start by finely chop the cilantro and mint together.
- In a skillet, add the ghee and toast the cashew for 1 minute. Transfer the cashew to a chopping board and when it has cool down enough to handle, finely chop the cashew. Don't use a blender as it will turn into a paste. You want it to be finely chopped.
- In a mixing bowl, add the hung yogurt, chopped herbs, chopped cashew, all the spices mentioned, rice flour, salt, sugar and ¼ cup bread crumbs.
- Crush the fried onion with your hand and add that too.
- Now mix it all together. It will feel a little sticky, but you should be able to shape the kebabs.
- Once you mixed everything, wet your hand and start making bite size kebabs/patties.
- Scatter ¼ cup bread crumbs on a plate to coat the kebabs before frying.
- Place a heavy bottom skillet and medium heat and pour enough oil to shallow fry the dahi kebabs.
- Coat the kebabs gently all around in the bread crumbs and place it carefully on the skillet. Do not overcrowd the skillet as you fry the kebabs.
- The kebabs are fragile, so be carefully as you flip. Fry the kebabs for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
- Enjoy the dahi kebab warm with some dip of your choice, or pair with salad to make it a complete meal.
Video
Notes
Can you add vegetables to the Kebab?
You definitely can, but I avoid, as I want the taste of yogurt with paneer to show off. You can add veggies, make sure you grate finely. The mixture of this kebab is sticky and fragile to shape. That is how you want, so you get the soft interior texture of the kebab. So keep that in mind when you add veggies.Reheating the left over Dahi Kebabs
To reheat the left over dahi ke kebabs, just brush little oil on a skillet at medium heat and layer the kebabs. Let it warm for 2 minutes on each side. Because of the super soft texture of these kebabs, if you microwave it, then it turns soggy.Nutrition
