Hara Bhara Kabab

Hara Bhara Kabab – Hara bhara kabab is a vegetarian patty made out of green leafy vegetables and potatoes with cashew in the center.

Hara bhara kabab’s crispy texture from outside with light golden cashew in the center makes it even more appetizing.

Veg Hara bhara kabab is loaded with greens hence the name hara bhara and it an apt choice to consume leafy vegetables.

It is also called hariyali kabab veg because of the green color of the kabab.

Usually, spinach or palak is used to make the all-time favorite starter or appetizer hara bhara kebab. However, you may use peas and capsicum along with spinach in the recipe.

This appetizer or starter has a significant demand in the restaurants where it is served. Even marriage functions or celebrations will have a queue in front of the hara bhara kabab counter.

Every week when I get spinach at my home, few dishes are sure to be made out of spinach. On top of the list is hara bhara kabab, followed by palak paneer and then Sindhi Sai Bhaji

My husband loves hara bhara kabab so much that whenever I make this, he skips the main course so that he could have more of this delicious starter or snack. Give him green chutney and a plate of salad along with hara bhara kabab and he will relish it with so much appreciation.

I have tried several versions of Hara bhara kabab, with roasted chana, with breadcrumbs, or combination. But the version that I have given you here yields the best results in my opinion.

I am sure you will like noodles balls recipe also on this website.

Serving suggestions for hariyali kabab veg

• Hara bhara kabab goes the best with green coriander-mint chutney. 
• If you are running short of time then tomato ketchup is an easy option. Kids love to have the hara bhara kabab with tomato ketchup.
• Hara bhara kabab can be served with mayo-ketchup dip or schezwan chutney as well.

How to make hara bhara kabab

with step by step instructions and photos: (For the ingredients list, refer recipe card)

Making Spinach Paste or Palak Puree

1. Firstly, take 4 cups of spinach or palak, remove the stems, wash the spinach thoroughly. I always soak spinach in ample water for 10-15 minutes along with 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder to get rid of any impurities or pesticides. This process is optional. You may directly rinse the spinach thoroughly with water.

2. Further, take 4 green chilies, deseed them, take 1-inch ginger, 4 cloves garlic, and 1 onion and chop them finely.

3. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, saute chopped onion-ginger, and garlic into it. 

4. Add chopped spinach to it. and cook for 2 minutes. Spinach will leave the water and will be cooked in its own water. In this hara bhara kabab I prefer quick cooking of spinach in its own water as I do not have to throw the nutrient-rich water of spinach after boiling it, alternatively, you can blanch the spinach in boiling water for 2 minutes, take the spinach out, and put it in ice-cold water for some time.

5.Squeeze out whatever little water the spinach has, add 6 cashews to it and keep this spinach mixture in the freezer for some time, I always keep the blanched or cooked spinach or palak in the freezer to retain the green color. After some time, grind this mixture into a paste or puree.

Making Hara Bhara kabab

6. Pressure cook the 5 potatoes in 5 cups water up to a few whistles. Water quantity will defer according to size of the pressure cooker. The water level should be few inches above potatoes. After the pressure releases, take potatoes out on a colander.

7. Peel the potatoes and mash them with a potato masher.

8. Add 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp cumin powder, 2tsp garam masala, 1 tsp amchur powder or dry mango powder, and 1 tsp chaat masala to it.

9. Add palak puree or spinach paste to the mashed potatoes.

10. Additionally, add 6 tbsp rice flour to the potato mixture.

11. Mix the mixture well to form a stiff dough out of it.

12. Make round tikis (kababs) of the mixture. You may grease your palms before shaping them. Put half cashew on each kabab and press it gently.

13. Shallow fry prepared kababs or patties in a non-stick pan.

14. When crispy from one side, turn the side and continue frying the other side. When fried on both sides, take out on a kitchen towel or a plate.

Tempting and delicious hara bhara kababs are ready to be served.

Recipe Card for Hara Bhara kabab

Tips and Variations for veg hara bhara kabab recipe

• Prepare the hara bhara kabab mixture in advance and keep it in the fridge after shaping the kababs. So during mealtime, the only work left for this starter is shallow frying the kababs. Advance preparation done in a free time lets you spend more time with the family or guests at the meal table.
• Hara bhara kabab is nutritious as we add the leafy vegetables to it but it is a tasty preparation so eating this starter is a good way to consume the nutrients of the greens.
• Use green chilies in this recipe to give the required spice level as this will enhance the green color. I prefer using green chilies without seeds. If you are using seeds then it is recommended to reduce the number of green chilies in the recipe.
• I have used the cashews along with the spinach in making the paste as it will make the dish rich apart from giving some binding to the spinach paste.
• While shallow frying the kababs, first test with one kabab to see if it is not breaking. Though you will get a fair idea of the binding while shaping the kababs, If the mixture is sticking then use more of the rice flour or bread crumbs, or cornflour.
• Squeeze out the extra water from the spinach before grinding it as less moisture in the spinach paste will help in binding the kababs well.
• If you like peas, consider grinding boiled peas along with spinach to prepare the green paste.