Description
Hara Bhara Kabab is a delicious and healthy Indian snack made with boiled potatoes, spinach, kale, peas, and fragrant spices. These vibrant, green kababs are pan-fried to a golden crisp, delivering a nutritious and flavorful bite perfect for serving with chutney as an appetizer or snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables & Herbs
- 500g Maris Piper potatoes, cut into quarters
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 50g kale, finely chopped
- 50g spinach, finely chopped
- 50g frozen peas
Spices & Others
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp amchur (mango powder)
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- Salt to taste (approx ½ tsp added to mixture plus salt for boiling potatoes)
Oils & Accompaniments
- 130ml sunflower oil (for cooking)
- Chutney, to serve
Instructions
- Boil Potatoes: Place the quartered Maris Piper potatoes in a pan filled with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 12-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain well and set aside to cool.
- Sauté Greens and Garlic: Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped garlic and sauté for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped kale, cover the pan, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes to soften the kale.
Next, add the chopped spinach and frozen peas to the pan, cover again, and cook on low heat for another 5 minutes until the greens are wilted and peas are tender. Remove from heat. - Prepare Vegetable Paste: Transfer the cooked kale, spinach, peas, and garlic mixture into a food processor. Blitz briefly to create a coarse paste; avoid over-blending as texture is important.
- Make Kabab Mixture: In a large bowl, combine the coarse vegetable paste with the cooled boiled potatoes. Add chilli powder, ground cumin, amchur, cornflour, and approximately half a teaspoon of salt. Mash and mix all ingredients thoroughly until well combined into a uniform mixture.
- Shape Kababs: Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into slightly flattened balls, about the size of a small patty or thick disc, ready for frying.
- Fry Kababs: Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Carefully add the kababs into the hot oil and fry each side for 1-2 minutes until they turn golden brown and slightly crisp on the outside. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
- Serve: Transfer the fried hara bhara kababs to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve hot with your choice of chutney for dipping.
Notes
- Use Maris Piper potatoes or any starchy potato variety for best texture.
- If a food processor isn’t available, finely chop the cooked vegetables and mix by hand with the mashed potatoes.
- You can substitute kale with other leafy greens such as mustard greens or fenugreek leaves.
- Serve kababs immediately for best crispness or reheat in a toaster oven for a quick snack.
- Chutneys like mint, coriander, or tamarind pair especially well with these kababs.
- For a gluten-free version, ensure the cornflour used is certified gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Hara Bhara Kabab, Indian snack, vegetarian kabab recipe, spinach kabab, potato kabab, healthy Indian appetizers, green kababs
