Hara Bhara Kabab – A Mumbai Restaurant Favourite

Sarah Mir of Flour & Spice did this wonderful post on Thai Noodle Salad as a guest post for me and it is my pleasure to be doing this guest post for her. Sarah (who calls herself a Baker By Birth, Cook By Circumstance) has this wonderful way of whipping up delicious food with the simplest of recipes. When she says she is not into fuss, she really means it.

Do visit Sarah’s blog at Flour & Spice for some delicious recipes!

Having said that, my recipe is something that needs some doing but the result is delicious so I am hoping Sarah, her family and fans enjoy it!

I chose Hara Bhara Kabab as the guest post recipe for Sarah because she has a lovely daughter and this kebab is just the kind of snack that children love. The bonus is that the potato makes it filling while the spinach, coriander, and peas make it nutritious. It is also perfect as a starter for dinner parties in the holiday season as it suits most palates.

Hara Bhara Kabab is one of those omnipresent items on Mumbai restaurant menus. It is a simple pan-fried patty of mashed potato mixed with spinach-coriander puree and boiled peas spiced up with some green chilli and ginger paste.

I love Hara Bhara Kabab because it is rather versatile. You can munch on it by itself, spice it up some mint or coriander chutney, or then have as a side with dal tadka and rice.

A perfect Hara Bhara Kabab is golden brown and crisp on the outside and melt-in-themouth soft on the inside.

Enjoy! 🙂

Also try my recipes for Dahi ke Kebab, Kale Chane ke Kabab, Paneer Tikki, Beetroot Tikki, and Hariyali Paneer Tikka.

How to Make Hara Bhara Kabab

Makes: 16-20 Servings

Preparation Time: 60 Minutes

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

1. Potatoes – 6 Large
2. Spinach Leaves – 2 Packed Cups (1 Large Bunch)
3. Coriander Leaves – 1 Packed Cup
4. Peas – 1/2 Cup
5. Cashews – 8 to 10 (Split in halves vertically)
6. Green Chillies – 6 to 8
7. Ginger – 1.5” Piece
8. Black Salt – 1 tsp
9. Besan or Gram Flour – 1 tbsp (optional)
10. Salt to Taste
11. Oil for Shallow Frying

The Prep Work

1. Boil the potatoes till they just start to soften and are mashable.
2. Wash with cold water and drain all water from the potatoes.
3. Set the potatoes aside to dry and cool to room temperature.
4. Blanch the spinach leaves in boiling water.
5. Drain all the water from the spinach leaves and set aside to cool.
6. Boil the peas and drain all water.
7. Set the peas aside to cool.
8. Grind the blanched spinach, coriander leaves, ginger and green chillies to a smooth paste. Avoid using any water; if you do need to add any water just add a teaspoon at a time.
9. Peel and mash the boiled potatoes.
10. Add the spinach puree and black salt to the mashed potato.
11. Mix well.
12. Add the boiled peas and mix with a gentle hand.
13. Taste and add regular salt as required. The salt should be a tad lesser than required. Remember all fried items taste saltier after frying.
14. Take a small portion and for a ball.
15. Pat down to form a patty.
16. If it does not hold the shape, add 1 tbsp besan/gram flour to the mashed potato and mix well.
17. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Making the Hara Bhara Kabab

1. Divide the potato mix into 16 to 20 equal portions.
2. Roll each portion into a ball and then pat down to form a patty.
3. Heat a tava or a griddle.
4. Spread about 1 tbsp of oil on the surface of the pan.
5. Plan a few Hara Bhara Kababs on the pan.
6. Over medium heat, let the kababs cook.
7. Lift each kabab to see if the side touching the pan is golden brown.
8. Flip the kababs over and cook the other side. If required, drizzle a few drops of oil around the edges of the kababs.
9. While the second side is cooking, press half a cashew into the side that has been cooked.
10. Flip over and cook for a few seconds.
11. Repeat the process till all kababs are cooked.
12. Serve the Hara Bhara Kabab warm with Pudina/Mint Chutney or Coriander Chutney.

Tips

• Be careful not to overcook the potatoes. If you do, then the potato mash will become soggy.
• Drain the potatoes, spinach and peas completely. I usually leave them in separate colanders for about 20 minutes. This ensures that there is no excess water.
• If your potato mix is soggy, add more besan. The raw mix does taste of besan but as you cook the kababs, this taste will disappear.
• Do not make the potato mix very hard either. I find that the kababs harden a bit after they are cooked.
• You can make these kababs well in advance and heat them up just before serving.