Recipes with yogurt (dahi)

Yogurt does two jobs in South Asian and Gulf cooking: it tenderises meat in a marinade and it gives gravies, raita and drinks their tang. This page lists every dish in our library where dahi is an essential ingredient.

Expect marinated chicken and kebabs, korma-style curries, dahi baray, rice dishes and cooling drinks. Whisk the yogurt smooth and keep the heat gentle once it goes into a hot pan.

Storage and swaps: use plain, unsweetened yogurt and bring it out of the fridge for ten minutes before cooking so it is less likely to split. Hung curd or Greek yogurt gives a thicker marinade; thin it with a splash of water. Sour cream works in a pinch for gravies, though the flavour is milder.

This collection has 48 dishes, including Chicken Sajji, Chicken Tikka, Chicken Pulao. A typical recipe takes about 60 minutes, and each one comes with step-by-step instructions and cooking timers.