Dahi ke kebab (yogurt patties)

Ingredients

• 250 grams thick hung yogurt(1 cup approx)
• 2 tsp slightly roasted Bengal gram powder (besan, I didn't level the tea spoon but neither was it heaped)
• ¾ tsp roasted cumin powder
• ½ tsp garam masala (mine wasn’t very strong)
• ½ tsp dry mint powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup bread crumbs
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of garlic powder (optional)
• A pinch of garam masala
• ½ tsp finely chopped cilantro (dhaniya patta)
• Oil (for shallow frying)

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Preparation

• Mix in the first six ingredients together.
  Mix in the next five ingredients and keep it aside.
  Make eight balls of the yogurt mix and using your palms slightly flatten it out pinching the edges if they tend to break. Coat them in bread crumbs. (if it gets difficult to work with the yogurt, grease your hands with a little oil)
• Heat a non-stick pan or skillet and add a little oil.
  Place the patties in the hot pan and let them turn golden brown. If need arises, feel free to add a little more oil, one spoon at a time, while frying.
  The kebabs are delicate so you need to carefully flip them over to brown the other side.
  Remove the patties on an absorbent paper and serve them hot and crisp with the chutney of your choice.
• Yields: 8 kebabs
• Note: If the yogurt becomes difficult to handle while making patties, refrigerate them for a while and then start working with it again.
  Note: The kebabs can shaped a day ahead and refrigerated. Just ensure that you cover them them with a cling wrap. Remove them 10 minutes before popping them in to the frying pan.
  Note: The thickened yogurt gets pretty rich (even if it is low fat) & I find the kebabs quite filling and for a party starter, 2-3 pieces per person should suffice along with other starter options.
• {I could procure 1 cup of yogurt from 3 cups of homemade yogurt. It is very important to ensure that there is virtually no water in the yogurt and it should be a thick mass.After I had drained the yogurt, I let it sit in the refrigerator overnight}
• To serve :
  Mint Cilantro Chutney - Suggestion: Add a table spoon of roasted peanuts while making this chutney. It goes very well with these kebabs. Also, leave out the chaat masala since the kebabs have just a wee bit of tangy flavor.