Vegetarian Delights: Indian Yogurt Kebabs!

Yogurt kebabs? I know this may sound unusual but I promise it is delicious and it's one of the tastiest vegetarian eats ever. I first encountered this at One Table Supper Club at a Hindustani themed dinner and it was so delicious I asked for the recipe. It's from the Lucknow area of Northern India and is remarkably easy but tasty and delivers flavour in spades. If you love delicious, vegetarian Indian cuisine, then this is a pushy recipe Dear Reader!

Even as I was making this, I wasn't sure it would come together. One Table's owner the lovely Anu gave it to me shortly after I asked for it and I wondered if I would end up with a yogurt that unable to hold its shape. Just in case, I drained the yogurt overnight and it wasn't a problem at all. It is dishes like this that we make quite often because we always have yogurt in the fridge and spices and onions in the pantry. Anu paired it with Bengali 5 spice pineapple chutney but I happened to have some pineapple and papaya chutney in my pantry. You can use a nice fruit chutney as it's very versatile.

I'm trying to be healthier Dear Reader, mainly because I know that with winter coming up, my chocolate intake has quadrupled (seriously, you have no idea how many chocolate recipes are coming up - you'll be calling me Augustus Gloop). To aid in balancing my chocolate intake, Nina has been working on increasing my bottom size which means that it will become a bigger muscle and burn calories better (or so she tells me).

Nina has a new gym location in Bondi Junction that I sometimes train at. She has been hiding away as she recently got her eyebrows tattooed and Garth told her that she looked like an Angry Bird so she has been wearing caps and laying low staying at her gym. On the day that I saw her, she was also trying to figure out a new name for her gym.

"Rage Against The Machine was already taken," said Nina sullenly.

"How about Gluten Free Fitness?" I offered actually quite seriously. I mean we are talking Bondi.

"How about...Angry Eyebrows?" I said and we both collapsed laughing. There was another trainer and client training next to us who were working away in agreeable silence. And then Nina and I brainstormed about how her logo was going to be a giant set of Angry Bird eyebrows. I think the other two were perplexed at how much training we were getting done. But I think we definitely got an ab work out!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you have any good gym name suggestions? How many nights a week do you eat vegetarian food or do you eat meat every night?

Dahi Yoghurt Kebabs

Adapted from One Table Supper Club

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus overnight hanging time

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Makes 8 kebabs (depending on how large you make them)

• 550g/20ozs. plain yoghurt
• 2 large onions, peeled and finely diced
• Oil for frying
• 2-3 chillies (to taste)
• 2 teaspoons toasted cumin, ground into a powder
• 50g/1.7ozs. grated paneer (I used feta cheese)
• 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 50g/1.7ozs. of toasted, ground cashews
• 25g/1oz. raisins/currants
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• Butter/ghee to fry

Step 1 - Whisk the yoghurt and put it in a thin muslin cloth or 3 paper towels over a sieve and a jug. Allow the whey to drain out overnight. Place in a bowl and set aside.

Step 2 - In a pan add some oil. Saute the diced onion, chillies and a bit of salt until onions are sweet and caramelised. Take your time with this and don't rush or burn the onions.

Step 3 - Place the cooked onion mixture into the yoghurt. Add in the cumin powder, paneer or feta, ground cashews, raisins, coriander leaves, salt and pepper and mix well. Taste the mixture and season. Refrigerate for at least an hour to solidify it (this mixture will also keep in the fridge for 48-72hrs).

Step 4 - When you want to eat it, take out of fridge, shape them into crumpet-like shapes. I place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl and use a large ice cream scoop to make a ball and press it down and coat in the breadcrumbs.

Step 5 - Heat a frying pan and add some ghee/butter on medium high heat (6 or 7 out of 10). Gently place the yogurt kebab rounds in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. They should look nice and brown. They are a little delicate so be careful when you flip them. Serve with chutney.