Pahadi kabab
Pahadi kabab recipe | Chicken pahadi kabab
Kabab are not only mine but everyone's favourite. They are smoky, juicy and succulent. Pahadi kabab is also a such delicious kabab made with fresh herbs and spices.
Pahadi kabab is spicy due to the uses of herbs like green chilli, ginger and garlic. You get a fresh taste of these herbs while eating them. Cubes of chicken legs are marinated in a spiced yoghurt based marination which is green in colour due to the uses of fresh spinach leaves. These marinated chicken are then thread in shewers and cook over charcoal tandoor till become crisp golden. If you love spicy chicken kebab or kabab with fresh herbs then this is a perfect recipe. Here I bring you the step by step guide on how to make pahadi kabab or murgh pahadi tikka at home.
Kababs or kebabs are considered as healthy foods due to less amount of oil uses, they are not fried. Fresh herbs and spices are usually used to make them and they are cooked over open fire.
What is pahadi kabab?
Pahadi kabab is a spicy green colored chicken kabab made using boneless chicken marinating in a yoghurt based marination with herbs and spices. Fresh spinach leaves are used to give this kabab the district green color appearance. Herbs like ginger, garlic and green chilli are added to spice it. Crisp and succulent pahadi kabab are served with green chutney and onion slices. Pahadi kabab and hariyali kabab are both having green in colour appearance and it's quite difficult to identify them.
Why it is called as pahadi kabab?
The exact origin of Chicken Pahadi Kabab is not well-documented. Many people believed that it has originated in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, particularly in the hilly or mountainous regions. The name "Pahadi" itself refers to the hilly areas. This kabab likely got its name because of its close association with the cuisine of the Himalayan foothills
In Hindi, Mountain is called as pahad. And pahadi means belonging to mountain. This pahadi kabab is originated by the people who lives in the mountains or pahad. They made the kabab with mountain chicken or pahadi murgh. And gave a green marination like mountain or pahad.
Pahadi kabab recipe video
Time taken to make
The total time required to make the kabab is under 30 minutes which includes the preparation time of 15 minutes and cooking time of 15 minutes. Here I have excluded the marination period which may vary from 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
Serving suggestions
Kababs are best to enjoy when they are hot. The best way to serve kabab are
- By squeezing some lemon juice over them.
- Sprinkle some chat masala
- Pour some melted butter over them
Side dishes that goes well with them are green chutney, onion slices and lemon wedges. Green chutney is a traditional and most sought after dip for all the tandoori kebab and tikka. Other side dishes that goes well with pahadi kabab are butter naan, fresh green salad and biryani.
Steps to make the recipe
1. First marination
Trim any excess fats from the chicken and cut them into small cube size pieces. Wash and pat them dry using a kichen cloth. In a mixing bowl mix them with green chilli paste, ginger garlic paste, salt and kemon juice. Pour some oil and rub nicely. Keep them aside for 15 to 20 minutes to absorb the flavours.
First marination helps to make the kabab juicy and they directly absorb the flavours which makes them more flavourful.
2. Making pahadi masala paste
I have used fresh and young spinach leaves to make the green masala paste or pahadi masala. I have not used coriander or mint leaves here in the recipe. They are used to make in Hariyali kabab. Otherwise you can not differentiate between pahadi kabab and hariyali kabab.
Clean the spinach leaves and roughly chopped them. Heat enough water in a utensil and boil then for two to three minutes. Drain and cool them immediately. You can even add some ice cubes to cool them further. This helps to retain the fresh green color. Grind them in a mixer grinder to make a fine paste or puree
Take the thick yoghurt or hung curd in a mixing bowl and add one tablespoon ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, garam masala, roasted cumin powder, chat masala, lemon juice and salt as per your taste. Add the prepared spinach puree, one tablespoon roasted besan, cooking oil and mustard oil. Now whish then nicely to make a smooth paste. Taste the seasoning and if required and some more salt and chilli.
Roasted besan are usually used in green based marination to coat the masala nicely with chicken or paneer. It is prepared by cooking besan with butter under slow flame heat for a minute or till the besan get cooked. Don't let the besan to get burnt. Instead of roasted besan you can use cashew nuts paste or some heavy cream to make the masala paste smooth and uniform.
3. Second marination
Add the first marinated chicken pieces in this pahadi masala paste and mix evenly so that the chicken pieces are get coated evenly from all sides. Now add some chopped green chilli, garlic and ginger and give a final mix. Cover and refrigerated for three to four hours or overnight for best results.
4. Cooking the kabab
Pahadi kabab are generally cooked in a charcoal tandoor ovee medium heat flame so that they become crisp golden and juicy. They can also be cooked in Oven or tawa and pan.
After the completion of marination, bring the chicken out of the refrigerator and keep at room temperature for five to six minutes. If you are using wooden sticks then soak them in water for thirty minutes before threading them.
Preheat an Oven at 240°C for fifteen minutes and line a baking tray with aluminium foil and start to thread the marinated chicken pieces one by one in a wooden sticks or iron shewers. Keep a minimum gaps between the chicken while threading them in a shewers. This will help them to cook evenly from all sides.
Place the sticks or shewers on the baking tray and place the tray inside the oven. Bake them for 20 minutes or till become crisp golden and well done. While baking brush some butter over the chicken shewers at a certain interval and rotate the shewers as well.
You can even place the marinated chicken on the baking tray after greasing some butter on it. Just make sure to remove excess marination from the chicken.
Similarly you can use a tawa or pan to make these pahadi kabab at home. For that heat a iron skillet tawa or a pan with some oil at medium heat flame gas. When the oil become hot lower the gas flame to low and place the marinated chicken pieces one by one carefully on it. Make sure to remove excess marination before placing them on the pan.
Increase the flame to medium and cook them for two minutes. Then flip them to another side and cook further for two minutes. The chicken pieces become charred and crisp. Cook them for six to eight minutes by flipping from one side to another.
Don't over crowded the pan with chicken, add six to eight pieces at one time and continue to cook them.
When you finished cooking then garnish a serving plate and serve them hot. Sprinkle some chat masala and squeeze some lemon juice over them and serve with green chutney.
Pahadi Chicken Kabab Recipe
Juicy, succulent, and green in color — Pahadi Kabab is a spicy chicken kebab made with spinach, ginger, garlic, and fresh herbs. Perfect for grilling, baking, or pan-frying, served hot with mint chutney.
Ingredients
- 250 gm boneless chicken pieces
- 1 bunch fresh spinach leaves
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 tbsp green chilli paste
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tbsp chat masala
- 1 medium size lemon (juice)
- 2 tbsp besan (gram flour)
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 1 tsp chopped ginger
- 1 tsp chopped green chilli
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- Chopped coriander leaves (for garnish)
- Butter (for basting)
Instructions
- Prep Chicken: Trim excess fat and cut chicken into bite-sized cubes. Marinate with 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp green chilli paste, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp cooking oil. Rest for 15 minutes.
- Prepare Spinach Puree: Blanch spinach leaves and grind into a smooth puree.
- Roast Besan: Heat butter in a pan on low flame, roast besan for 1 minute until aromatic.
- Make Marinade: In a bowl, whisk hung curd with remaining ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, spinach puree, roasted besan, garam masala, cumin powder, chat masala, lemon juice, mustard oil, cooking oil, and salt.
- Add chicken pieces to the marinade. Mix in chopped garlic, ginger, and green chilli. Cover and marinate 3–4 hours or overnight.
- Oven Method: Preheat oven to 240°C. Thread chicken on skewers. Bake 15–20 minutes, basting with butter midway, until crisp golden and slightly charred.
- Tawa Method: Heat oil on high flame, then reduce to low. Cook skewered chicken on all sides, turning until charred and cooked through.
- Remove from heat, garnish with coriander, and serve hot with mint chutney.
Chef’s Tips
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before grilling to prevent burning.
- Marinating overnight enhances flavor and tenderness.
- Blanch spinach quickly to preserve its green color.
- Basting with butter keeps kababs juicy and smoky.
Nutritional Information (Per Serving, Approx)
- Calories: 240 kcal
- Protein: 27 g
- Fat: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fibre: 2 g
FAQs
Q: Can I make pahadi kabab without oven?
A: Yes, you can cook them on a tawa or pan with little oil, flipping until evenly charred.
Q: Why is the kabab green in color?
A: The vibrant green comes from spinach puree and fresh herbs like green chilli and coriander.
Q: How long should I marinate the chicken?
A: At least 3 hours, but overnight marination gives the best flavor.
Q: What is the best side dish for pahadi kabab?
A: Serve with mint chutney, onion rings, and lemon wedges. It also pairs well with naan or paratha.
Pahadi and hariyali are both identical and having green in colour kabab.. It is quite difficult to identify them. Here are some differences between them
- Pahadi kabab is more spicy than hariyali kabab.
- Coriander and mint leaves are used in hariyali kabab but not in pahadi kabab.
- Hariyali kabab has a distinct flavour of mint but not in Pahadi kabab.
