Dahi Kebab Recipe is a popular North Indian Punjabi appetizer often served at Punjabi weddings and dinner parties. These vegetarian kebabs are creamy, tangy, and packed with flavor, making them a hit for festive occasions. For a healthier twist, try making dahi kebab in an air fryer!
Kababs, originally a Middle Eastern dish, are known for their smoky, spicy flavors. While traditionally made with meat, this vegetarian variation with dahi (hung curd) is an absolute crowd-pleaser.
This easy, fail-proof recipe offers multiple cooking options—deep fry, pan fry, or air fry—ensuring every bite is crispy outside and creamy inside. Perfect for festivals or gatherings!
Dahi kabab is an appetiser/snack recipe from North Indian Punjabi cuisine. Mostly served in Punjabi weddings as a party snack and make a perfect appetizer for a dinner party.
Kababs is a smoky and spicy dish from the Middle East. Traditionally, meat is the main ingredient of kababs. But, different variations of this dish has rocked the food world.
So sharing with you an easy fail-proof recipe of this veg kebab, a great vegetarian snack option that you can prepare on festivals and special occasions. You can pan fry them or deep fry as per your preference but any which way dahi kabab taste delicious!
What this Dahi Kabab is:
- Vegetarian kebab
- Melt in the mouth soft inside crispy outside
- Made with a base of hung curd/dahi or greek yogurt and spices
- Can be pan-fried or deep-fried
This dahi kabab is the most favourite Indian party appetizer recipe at our home. A mix of hung curd, paneer, cheese, and spices results in soft kebabs which are utterly delicious. Of late, I am experimenting with quite a few curd recipes.
I find hung curd is a great base for sandwich fillings, dips, and so many interesting desserts. Some of these snack recipes I have already posted like Dahi ke sholey, Dahi ke sandwich/curd sandwich.
Why Try This Recipe?
- Protein-Packed Snack: Features curd, paneer, and cheese, making it a nutritious and satisfying choice.
- No Onion or Garlic: Perfect for those who prefer satvik or fasting-friendly dishes.
- Customizable: Easily adapt the spices and cooking methods to suit your taste or dietary preferences.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Loved by kids and adults alike, making it ideal for family get-togethers or parties.
- Crispy Outside, Soft Inside: The breadcrumb coating ensures a crispy exterior, while the inside remains creamy and soft.
- Minimal Ingredients: Made with pantry staples, ensuring ease and convenience.
- Air Fryer Friendly: A healthier alternative to traditional frying with the same indulgent taste.
Ingredients Needed:
- Hung curd: 800gm greek yogurt is strained in cheesecloth and sieve to remove the whey. The resulting hung curd also known as chakka is used in making dahi ke kabab. This gives 60-70gm hung curd.
- Indian cottage cheese/ grated paneer: Preferably use homemade Indian cottage cheese to make them soft and melt in the mouth.
- Cheese: Use processed cheese or cheddar cheese.
- Gram flour/ roasted besan: For providing binding to the kebab. Make sure to roast it to get rid of the raw taste.
- Spices and seasonings: Salt, red chilli flakes.
- Fresh herbs and extras: Coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger
- Breadcrumbs (to coat the kababs)
- Oil to deep fry or shallow fry
How to Make Dahi Kabab
Make Dahi Kebab Mixture
- Add hung curd in a mixing bowl and then add coriander leaves, grated paneer, and cheese, grated ginger, chopped green chillies, red chilli flakes to the hung curd. Mix them well.
- Now, add roasted besan to bind the curd. Mix it well. You can add more besan if curd remains wet.
Shaping Kebabs
- Grease your hands with cooking oil. This will help in making perfect round balls if you are deep-frying them.
- Make rounded balls of the mixture. Meanwhile, set the oil in a kadhai. Heat it on medium flame.
- Coat this dahi kabab you made with breadcrumbs and use any of cooking method given below.
Deep frying the Dahi kebab
- Now, put the balls in hot oil one by one. Let them fry on medium flame. turn them to cook from all sides occasionally.
- Deep fry the kebab on medium heat till it turns golden brown.
Shallow fry or pan fry the Kebab
- Similarly, you can make Air fried dahi kabab by spraying them with oil and then placing in an air fryer which is preheated.
- You shape dahi kebab into patties if you want to shallow fry them or pan fry. Heat oil in a flat pan and put kebabs in hot oil one by one. Let them shallow fry on medium flame. turn them to cook from all sides occasionally.
- Fry the kebab till it turns golden brown.
Recipe Notes and Tips to make Best Dahi ke Kabab
- The Dahi Kabab recipe is very simple, but at the same time to make it perfect you need to take care of a few things. Now, I am not trying to say that I am a Kebab expert here, but suffice to say I have learned from my mistakes.
- I am sharing with you tips and points here to make these perfect dahi ke kabab.
- Preferably use fresh homemade curd to prepare hung curd. Store-bought curd is also fine, just make sure it is fresh.
- Don’t use sour curd. It may result in a sour taste in kabab.
- Squeeze out extra water from curd fully while preparing hung curd, lesser the water content better will be the taste of dahi ke kababs.
- Less water content results in better dahi kababs. Also, dahi Kababs will soak less oil.
- Paneer and cheese help to make soft melt in mouth dahi kababs. So, do not skip these.
- Use only roasted besan to avoid the raw pasty taste.
- Coat the kebabs with bread crumbs before frying them. This will prevent the kebabs from breaking and add a delicious crunch.
- Making a Veg kabab recipe is slightly tricky because too little binding agent breaks the kabab easily. Too much of it turns the soft texture or pasty taste.
- Use roasted gram flour/besan to bind them which is traditionally used in making these kebabs.
- You can Prep the ingredients beforehand, prepare dahi kababs and freeze them.
Substitutions
- Hung Curd: Replace with vegan yogurt for a plant-based version.
- Paneer: Use tofu or ricotta cheese as alternatives.
- Cheese: Opt for mozzarella, cheddar, or vegan cheese if needed.
- Breadcrumbs: Use crushed cornflakes, roasted oats, or almond meal for a gluten-free version.
- Besan: Replace with rice flour or potato starch for a different binding agent.
Variation Of Dahi Kabab
Just like any other recipes you can make variation of this dahi kababs as well. The other day I shared Dahi kabab recipe in my Instagram reels.
I skipped gram flour and cheese completely. Another change I did was in the final coating along with bread crumbs I added sesame seeds and that made it even more crispy.
I also tried changing the shape. Rather than making balls I flattened them and made tikki shaped dahi kabab.
How To Serve with Dahi Kabab?
You can enjoy these Kabab with Green chutney, coconut chutney. For an unconventional choice you can serve these kabab with guacamole as well.
Storing Leftovers
Usually there are no leftovers because you can’t stop eating them. In case you make some extra and have leftover kababs you can store them in fridge for 1-2 days and reheat in air fryer or pre-heated oven.
FAQs
Can I Make Them Ahead?
Yes you can make these dahi ke kabab ahead of time. But you must take care to freeze them immediately after shaping them. When you are ready to eat take them out of freezer and put straight away into deep fryer or heated oil which is ready for deep frying.
How do I prevent the kebabs from breaking while frying?
Ensure the curd is well-strained to remove all excess whey. Add enough roasted besan for binding, and fry on medium heat to prevent disintegration.
What can I use instead of breadcrumbs for coating?
You can use crushed cornflakes, semolina (rava), or even oats powder for a gluten-free option.
Can I make this recipe vegan?
Yes, substitute paneer and cheese with tofu, and use plant-based yogurt for the hung curd. Ensure the yogurt is thick and well-strained.
What if my mixture is too wet?
Add more roasted besan or even crushed breadcrumbs until the mixture is firm enough to shape.
More Such Recipes
- Rajma galouti Kabab
- Hara Chana Kabab
- Dahi Paneer Veg seekh Kabab
- Vegetarian Seekh kabab
- Raw Papaya Kebab
- Paneer Dahi Seekh Kabab – Veg Kebab Recipe
Step by Step Recipe Video
If You like this recipe and made it Please rate the recipe. It helps us to reach more people. For the Latest updates Subscribe to Rekha’s Whatsapp. You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest for more food inspirations.
Dahi Ke Kabab
Ingredients
- 250 gram Hung curd 800gm greek yogurt strained to remove whey
- 2 tablespoons Coriander leaves
- 100 grams Indian cottage cheese grated paneer
- 50 grams cheese Grated
- 2-3 tablespoon Gram flour roasted besan
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon green chillies chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1/4 cup Breadcrumbs to coat the kababs
- Oil to deep fry or shallow fry
Instructions
Make Dahi Kebab Mixture
- Add hung curd in a mixing bowl and then add coriander leaves, grated paneer, and cheese, grated ginger, chopped green chillies, red chilli flakes to the hung curd. Mix them well.
- Now, add roasted besan to bind the curd. Mix it well. You can add more besan if curd remains wet.
Shaping Kebabs
- Grease your hands with cooking oil. This will help in making perfect round balls if you are deep-frying them.
- Make rounded balls of the mixture. Meanwhile, set the oil in a kadhai. Heat it on medium flame.
- Coat this dahi kabab you made with breadcrumbs and use any of cooking method given below.
Deep frying the Dahi kebab
- Now, put the balls in hot oil one by one. Let them fry on medium flame. turn them to cook from all sides occasionally.
- Deep fry the kebab on medium heat till it turns golden brown.
Shallow fry or pan fry the Kebab
- You shape dahi kebab into patties if you want to shallow fry them or pan fry. Heat oil in a flat pan and put kebabs in hot oil one by one. Let them shallow fry on medium flame. turn them to cook from all sides occasionally.
- Fry the kebab till it turns golden brown.
- Similarly, you can make Air fried dahi kabab by spraying them with oil and then placing in an air fryer which is preheated.
Air Fried Dahi Kabab
- Air fry them for 6-7 minutes on 200C then turn them over an air fry at 200C for another 3 minutes.
- Serve dahi kabab fresh and hot with spicy green chutney or tomato ketchup as a teatime snack or party appetizers.
This item Good To place in Birthday party celebration !! Nice Dish
Looks very tempting! Nice.
What type of cheese.
What type of cheeze to be used
Cheddar cheese tastes great! But processed cheese also can be used.
Hello Rekha, ❤️ your recipes. Just to confirm…your written recipe says 50g hung curd but video shows 250g , please confirm the amount.
Many thank
Shobana
Hi Shobana Thank you! 250gms of hung curd is used I have corrected in the recipe now. Thanks for pointing this to me.