Hara Bhara Kabab is made with spinach, green peas, potatoes, herbs, and spices. The mixture is shaped into patties and shallow-fried until golden and crisp. Serve hot with mint chutney as a snack or party starter.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8 · 8 large kabab
  • Category: Appetizers, Brunch, Snacks
  • Cuisine: North Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 cups or 100 grams spinach (– fresh)
  • 1.5 to 2 cups water (– for blanching)
  • 1 to 1.5 cups cold water
  • 2 medium large or 200 to 215 grams potatoes
  • ½ cup or 150 grams green peas (– fresh or frozen)
  • 2 cups water (– for pressure cooking)
  • 4 tablespoons besan ((gram flour) or add as required)
  • 1 green chilli
  • 1 to 1.5 inches ginger (– roughly chopped, adjust as per your spice requirements)
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder
  • 1 teaspoon amchur powder ((dry mango powder))
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala
  • salt (as required)
  • 8 cashew halves (– optional)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons oil (– for pan frying the kabab, add as required)

Method

Blanching spinach

  1. Boil water and then switch off the flame. Keep rinsed spinach in hot water for 2 minutes. Remove with a help of tongs and keep the leaves in cold water for 1 minute.
  2. Again remove the leaves from the cold water using tongs and place in a colander. Drain the water very well. Squeeze lightly if there is extra water.
  3. Finely chop the spinach and keep aside.

Other preparations

  1. Roast besan (gram flour) in a small pan till it becomes aromatic and changes its color. Don't over roast or darken the gram flour.
  2. Steam or boil the potatoes and peas in a pressure cooker or pan (pressure cooker details mentioned above in the step wise pics).
  3. Crush chopped ginger and green chillies in a mortar-pestle to a paste.

Making hara bhara kabab

  1. In a bowl take the chopped spinach. Grate the boiled potatoes in the bowl. Add the peas and green-chili paste.
  2. Mash the kabab mixture with a potato masher or with a wooden spoon.
  3. Add all the dry spice powders, roasted gram flour and salt. Mix the kabab mixture very well.
  4. Shape into round patties. Press a cashew halve on each patty.
  5. Heat oil in a pan or skillet. Pan fry the kabab till crisp and golden turning over as needed. Once done then place them on kitchen paper towels.
  6. Serve hara bhara kabab hot with coriander chutney or mint chutney or tomato ketchup.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.