You might be wondering if it is ever possible to prepare kebabs using ‘curd’ only. I first heard about dahi kebab in a channel that gives reviews of food in restaurants. It was just a random video that popped in my YouTube feed that I don’t even remember the channel name.
I love curd so much. Especially thick curd which is not sour to taste. If you give me a big bowl of curd and tell me that my lunch is over, then I would be very happy to have it. So, this statement is enough to show you the love that i have for curd.
Because of my love for it, ever since I heard about dahi kebab, I wanted to try them out so badly. When I prepared a veg thali spread a week back, I thought of including dahi kebab in the starters list. So, that was when I even prepared it for the first time.
I loved the kebabs. The subtle flavors along with the creaminess of the curd and the soft, melt in the mouth feeling, all made me a fan of it. They are actually very easy to make and kind of tricky too if you are a beginner at it. I am not an expert, but i have had my fair share of failures for me to learn from it.
Anyways, dahi kebabs are so soft, creamy and each bite you take will just melt in your mouth! So, for this melt in the mouth feel, paneer and cheese are added to the curd. On top of all, we use hung curd to make dahi kebabs.
So, what is this hung curd? It is normal curd in which the whey is totally drained out. So, this makes them really thick in consistency compared to the normal dahi that we use in every household. Using a muslin cloth, we gently squeeze out the whey and let it rest for a few hours or preferably overnight for it to become more thick in consistency.
Traditionally, paneer and cheese are not added (I guess!). We will be adding those for the extra punch in the kebabs. They make the kebabs so soft and gives the melt in the mouth feel.
Sometimes, for the kebabs to bind, even potatoes are addded. But, by adding them, the taste changes a lot. Usually dahi kebabs have just hung curd in them. The addition of aloo might help you in binding but will alter the taste too.
There are just a few tips and tricks from my side to make the perfect dahi kebab. First, make sure you drain out most of the whey to get hung curd of thick consistency. Do not add water or any liquid while making the filling. Also, don’t use sour curd as it will result in the dahi kebab being sour too. We will anyways add a little besan to help in binding. That will be more than enough. If not, add a little more.
Making dahi kebab is no big deal. You just need to have some patience and the right technique which I will be sharing with you. Enjoy these dahi kebabs as a starter to any meal or even as a tea-time snack. They taste great with green chutney or even some ketchup. Hot dahi kebabs along with hot coffee or tea on a rainy evening is the perfect match.
Enjoy them with your family. Happy cooking and eating! While you are here also, look through my other snack recipes to fill your tummies in the evenings.
Has meal planning been a little bit difficult during this lockdown? Look through my No Veggies, 21-Day Lockdown Series for ideas on what to cook during this lockdown.
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Dahi Kebab
Ingredients
To make hung curd
- 1 kg fresh curd
To make dahi kebabs
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp roasted besan flour
- 100 grams paneer, grated
- 40-50 grams processed cheese, grated
- 1/2 tsp black salt
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper powder
- 2 tbsp fried onions (barista)
- salt, as per taste
- handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
- handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (or more to coat the patties)
- oil, for deep frying
Instructions
To make the hung curd
- Line a strainer with muslin cloth and pour 1 kg of curd onto it.
- Bring the edges of the cloth together and gently wring the muslin cloth to remove the excess whey.
- Let it rest on the strainer for a minimum of 5 hours or preferably overnight. Keep it refrigerated and place a bowl underneath to collect the whey.
- Transfer the thick hung curd to a bowl.
To make dahi kebabs
- Except for the oil and breadcrumbs, add the other ingredients listed under 'To make dahi kebabs' to the hung curd.
- Mix everything together using your hands or a spatula.
- Make patties of equal size and roll them in the breadcrumbs to coat it evenly on all sides.
- Similarly, make patties with rest of the curd filling and coat them in breadcrumbs. At this time, you can either freeze them for future use or fry them immediately.
- Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. When it is hot, add the patties to the oil and fry them until golden brown from all sides. Drain them onto a plate.
- Serve hot with green chutney.
Notes
- After draining the whey, 1 kg of curd yielded about 400 grams of hung curd.
- Instead of normal curd, you can also use greek yogurt.
- Make sure all the whey is drained out before using the hung curd.
- If there is excess whey, then the kebabs will soak up the oil when frying. Also, it will be difficult to bind the kebabs.
- If it is difficult to bind the kebabs, then add some more besan to it.
- Paneer and cheese are added to make the kebabs extra creamy.
- You can also freeze the kebabs after coating them with the breadcrumbs.
- If you are freezing the kebabs, then take it out of the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before frying them.
