The Dahi ke Kebab is just perfect for Mumbai monsoons. The recipe of these Dahi ke Kebabs is simple and there aren’t too many spices involved. Although Dahi ke Kebabs are made in many ways, with varying ingredients and their ratios, this recipe of Dahi ke Kebab is just the one that you probably always wanted! Finally, we tried a kebab that is extremely light and easy on stomach. And thanks to the excellent-quality milk and curd by Sarda Farms, these Dahi ke Kebabs have such a creamy flavour. The recipe is a keeper for sure!

As I write the recipe of the Dahi ke Kebab, the Mumbai weather becomes cooler and it started raining from today. The pitter-patter of rain always makes my day. It fills me with new life force. The smell of wet soil, the greenery all around, the sound of thunder, birds shaking off water from their feathers and drops of rain flowing off the leaves of my balcony plants: all act as catalysts to enliven me. During the rains, I love to make my family-favourites, especially snacks. Although Dahi ke Kebab is often eaten as a starter, it goes well with tea as well. Teatime isn’t generally an elaborate affair in my house, unless it is a rainy day or there are guests at home. As you have guessed, thanks to the good weather during the evenings, teatime isn’t just a cup of tea anymore!

Healthy snacks or starters are always my priority. Since kids are at home all the time, I make sure throughout these lockdown months that they don’t crave for junk food. So, I provide them with enough food choices. For example, they love these gorgeous Dahi ke Kebabs that we consider to be a perfect accompaniment with our cup of piping hot “Adrak-Wali Chai” during these poetic rainy evenings.

Shallow-fried with just a bit of cow ghee, these Dahi ke Kebabs are as healthy and dairy-rich as they can get, with a generous addition of paneer made from scratch with all the goodness of Sarda Farms Pasteurized and Homogenized Milk. However, the main ingredient for the Dahi ke Kebab is, of course, good-quality curd. I made hung curd out of the Sarda Farms Dahi (made from pure cow milk) to make these scrumptious Dahi ke Kebabs. The Dahi is creamy and has the perfect texture and mouthfeel of a fresh, homemade dahi: something that I never find in some of the existing and widespread dairy brands. Yes, after changing a few brands of commercially available Dahi, I have finally made a choice. This Dahi is flavourful and unpretentious: just like the magic of your homemade Dahi that isn’t too dense, but is light and creamy at the same time.

The Sarda Farms Pasteurized and Homogenized Milk is perfect for making paneer at home. The paneer that I made by curdling the hot milk with a small amount of diluted vinegar, was soft, non-granular and silky. The paneer is so tasty that I often like eating it raw, apart from using it in Indian dishes like Restaurant-Style Paneer Curry or Roshogolla. Needless to say, the acid test for a good cow milk as per a Bengali would be how the Roshogollas will turn out… I tried making Roshogollas with the milk and it turned out to be perfect!

But it is time for some savoury now. And Dahi ke Kebab is a celebration of the goodness of milk in its two beautiful forms (curd and paneer) mixed together with select spices. Because of the presence of hung curd and paneer in it, the kebabs are creamy, soft and melt-in-the-mouth. I feel that even if someone doesn’t like milk, they will fall in love with these light Dahi ke Kebabs. In fact, the Dahi ke Kebab is the only vegetarian Kebab that all of us in the family love to eat!

The Cow milk by Sarda Farms is very fresh and has no aftertaste or smell. This is because the cows are raised in the farms, where they are feed with nutritious food and taken good care of. Also, the cow milk is from a single place and not multiple sources. Utmost care is taken to deliver the milk to your home in a cold-chain system that extends from the farm to your doorstep and this minimises the bacterial build-up in all their products. As no preservatives or stabilizers are added and the milk is very fresh, they advise you to consume the milk in two days.

Because of the Covid pandemic, Sarda Farms is careful enough to sanitize the milk cartons. The delivery person takes all sorts of necessary precautions (including wearing a mask and gloves), so that we get milk and its products free of any kind of unwanted microbes. It is interesting to note that the milk is hormone-free and antibiotic-free. The milk comes in four variants: a2, Pasteurised, Pasteurized and Homogenized and Skimmed. By the way, we love their Cow Ghee and butter, too!

Print Recipe

Dahi ke Kebab

[To make hung curd, take around 300 g of curd and filter the liquid through a muslin cloth. Now tie the cloth with the thick curd inside and hang it for a few hours, until almost all the liquid/water falls off. Poppy seeds and Chundo bring about an extra dash of texture and flavour in these Dahi ke Kebabs.]

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 10 Kebabs

Author: Purabi Naha

Ingredients

• 150 g Very thick hung curd
• 100 g Freshly made paneer
• 1 tsp Gujrati Chundo (or any sweet-n-spicy mango pickle with very small pieces/shreds of mango)
• ½ tsp Cumin powder
• 1 tsp Finely chopped ginger
• 2.5 tsp Corn flour
• 1 tsp Salt (adjust according to taste)
• 2 Finely chopped green chillies
• 2 tsp Finely chopped coriander leaves
• 1 tsp Green cardamom powder
• 100 g Poppy seeds
• 2 tbsp Good-quality Cow Ghee

Instructions

• In a plate, bring together the hung curd and paneer and mash them well with all the ingredients, except the last two. It is advisable to use half the salt first and then add more, if required.
• Check for the seasoning and adjust accordingly.
• Make into flat, equal-sized roundels. Refrigerate these for 1 h if these are difficult to handle. My kebabs did not need refrigeration.
• Roll each of them carefully in poppy seeds. Press down slightly from all sides.
• Heat Ghee and reduce the flame to minimum. Lightly shallow-fry the kebabs, turning each of them very softly with the help of a spoon and a ladle. These get cooked very fast. Once light brown on both sides, remove them one by one on an absorbent paper.
• Serve the Dahi ke Kebabs with Green Chutney and some onions.
• The recipe makes 10 Dahi ke Kebabs.