Pahadi kabab

Mobasir hassan

03 November

Pahadi kabab recipe | Chicken pahadi kabab

A yummy and mouth watering pahadi kabab with a green marination, juicy and succulent just like restaurant. Chicken Pahadi Kabab is a popular Indian appetizer or starter that originates from the northern state of India, Himachal Pradesh. Pahadi kabab is characterized by its vibrant green colour and spicy flavours. The word "Pahadi" refers to the hilly or mountainous regions, and this kabab is named after the picturesque hills of Himachal Pradesh. The unique aspect of this dish is the use of fresh green herbs and spices that give it a distinct flavour and appearance.

Serving pahadi kabab sticks on a plate with green chutney and onion slices

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.

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 marinated chicken pieces for Pahadi kabab

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.

Green color pahadi kabab masala paste in a mixing bowl

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.

Roasted besan in a bowl for pahadi kabab

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.

Second marinated chicken pieces for Pahadi kabab

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.

Two shewers with green color chicken pieces for baking Pahadi kabab

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.

Baked and cooked pahadi kabab shewers in oven

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.

Cooking three sticks of chicken pahadi kabab on a pan or tawa

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.

Cooked pahadi kabab sticks on a pan or tawa

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.

Difference between pahadi kabab and hariyali kabab?

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.What does Pahadi means in Chicken pahadi kabab?

.Pahadi refers to the hilly or mountainous regions. Chicken Pahadi Kabab is named after the hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh in northern India, where it is believed the dish has its origins

2. What gives Chicken Pahadi kabab its green colour?

The vibrant green colour of chicken pahadi kabab comes from the use of fresh coriander leaves, mint leaves, spinach leaves and green chillies in the marinade.

3. Can I use bone-in chicken for this recipe?

Boneless chicken is generally prefere but you can use bone-in chicken pieces as well for this recipe. Make sure to marinate those chicken pieces very nicely.

Here are more popular kabab recipes that you can make at home.

Pahadi kabab

Pahadi is a spicy chicken kabab which is green in color. Herbs like ginger, garlic, green chilli and spinach leaves are use to make this juicy and succulent pahadi kabab.

Pre time 15 min cook time 15 min serve 3

Author mobasir hassan

Ingredients

250 gm boneless chicken pieces
1 bunch fresh spinach leaves
2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
2 tablespoon green chilli paste
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1/2 tablespoon chat masala
1 medium size lemon for juice
2 tablespoon besan ( gram flour)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 teaspoon chopped green chilli
Salt as per taste
2 tablespoon cooking oil
2 tablespoon mustard oil
Chopped coriander leaves for garnish
Butter for busting

Instructions

First trim the chicken pieces and remove any excess fats present. Then cut into small bite size cubes.
Apply one tablespoon ginger garlic paste, half tablespoon lemon juice, half tablespoon green chilli paste, half teaspoon salt and one tablespoon cooking oil.
Cover and let them to absorb all the flavours for 15 minutes.
Blanched the spinach and make fine puree using a mixer grinder. Heat some butter in a pan over low flame heat and roast the besan for one minute. Make sure it won't get burnt.
Take the thick yoghurt or hung curd in a mixing bowl and add the remaining ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, palak puree, roasted besan, garam masala, cumin powder, chat masala, lemon juice, mustard oil, cooking oil and salt as per taste. Whisk together everything nicely to make a fine smooth masala paste.
Add the chicken pieces in this pahadi masala paste and coat them evenly from all sides.
Add the chopped garlic, ginger and green chilli as well. Cover and keep marinated for 3 to 4 hours or overnight for best results.
Preheat an Oven at 240° C for fifteen minutes and line a baking tray with aluminium foil. Thread the marinated chicken in shewers or wooden sticks and place over the baking tray. If using wooden sticks then soaked them in water for thirty minutes before threading.
Now place the baking tray inside the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or till the chicken pieces become crisp golden and charred.
While baking brush some butter over the chicken in the middle of cooking and rotate the sticks or shewers.
Similarly you can cook the pahadi kabab on tawa or pan. For that heat some oil on a tawa over high heat flame gas for a minute. When the oil become hot lower the heat flame to low.
And place the chicken sticks carefully on the tawa. Cook for two minutes and then flip to other side.
Cook for another two minutes and flip to another side. Cook this way until all sides of the chicken sticks get cooked and charred.
Remove them in a serving plate and serve hot with green chutney.