You need not be a non-vegetarian to know what meat lovers mean that they say ‘we had some melt-in-your-mouth kebab’. You can also sample such an experience, but strictly vegetarian, as many restaurants in Delhi give you that option in the form of dahi ke kebab; the light kebab made of hung curd, stuffed with some nuts and added condiments served with green chutney and onion garnishing.

So, move over those paneer tikkis or hara bhara kebab to taste something that melts in your mouth, just like some minced mutton kebab do.
Sandeep Panwar, executive chef at The Metropolitan Hotel and Spa, says that the Awadhi delicacy, dahi ke kebab, is hugely famous among Delhiites. “As a dish, dahi ke kebab is at par with meat-based galouti kebab, and it is an apt dish for vegetarians. Just like galouti, dahi ke kebab have soft texture and have melt-in-your mouth tendency. It is a welcome addition for vegetarians who are bored of their paneer based snacks and aloo tikki,” says he.
Explaining its distinct taste, Vishal Saxena, cuisine trainer at Rang De Basanti Dhaba, says dahi ke kebab’s sour taste and soft consistency is its USP. “I will tell you a brief story around dahi ke kebab. It originated when Nawab of Lucknow, who got bored of meat kebab, wanted to eat something light and sour kebab. His cooks decided to play with dahi, as it is popular to have sour taste and is light. After experimenting a bit, they invented dahi ke kebab. Since then, the dish has become a popular option for vegetarians who like to have it with tea,” says Vishal.
Vishal adds that it is one of the hot selling items at RDBD. “We stuff our kebab with green chillies, mint, black pepper, nuts like almonds, cashew nuts and pistachios, and add a pinch of cardamom. We suggest it to be eaten with sheermal bread or ulte tawe ka parantha. These combinations work well.”
Sandeep says, “Dahi ke kebab are normally served with green chutney, and another best variation is sweet mango chutney. Since dahi is acidic in nature and has a sour taste, it goes best with any sweet chutney.”
More of an all season dish, these kebab are healthy too. “Health conscious people can bake them or grill them, these kebab will always be soft. And this healthy snack is very easy to prepare at home. All you need to do is add salt, pepper, chopped coriander, ginger to hung curd and stuff them with nuts like the way we stuff normal tikkis. Use a bit of gram flour to bind the curd. Once done, your snack is ready to be baked or shallow fried,” says Sachin Verma, executive chef at Hinglish – The Colonial Café. Sachin recommends bharwan dahi ke kebab stuffed with nuts and strong cardamom flavour.
But there are places that serve this dahi delicacy with a twist. Angrezee Dhaba dishes out crispy dahi ke kebab.
Manjit Singh, executive chef at the restaurant says, “Our dahi ke kebab are crispy and full of vegetables. We mix bread and cheese in our hung curd, stuff it with chopped vegetables like onion, capsicum, mozzarella cheese, add white pepper and salt and deep-fry it. Once done, we garnish kebab with lettuce, tomatoes and lemon wedges, and serve them with mint sauce,” says Singh.

Dahi ke kebab

Ingredients:
w 2 cups hung yoghurt
w 1/2 cup powdered roasted
w gram flour
w Salt to taste
w 2 tsp red chilli powder
w 1 tsp clove powder
w 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
w A large pinch of cinnamon powder
w 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
w 1/2 cup vegetable oil
w 2 tsp garlic paste
w 1/4 cup onions - sliced, fried, ground
w 1/4 cup Milk

Method:
w Add the roasted gram, salt and half of all the spices to the hung yoghurt and mix well.
w Divide the mixture into 20 equal portions.
w Flatten each portion to get a smooth even shape.
w Heat the oil in a pan.
w Fry the kebab to a light golden colour. Keep aside.
w In the same oil, add the salt, garlic paste, ground onions and the remaining half of the spices. Stir fry for a few minutes.
w Add the kebab and turn gently till each piece is coated with the mixture.
w Pour milk over the kebab and let the mixture sizzle for 10 seconds.
w Serve hot.