Hara bhara kabab

Hara Bhara Kabab is a delicious vegetarian snack made with spinach, peas, potatoes, and a blend of aromatic spices. Known for its vibrant green color and wholesome ingredients, it's a popular choice for those seeking a healthy yet indulgent snack or appetizer. Whether you're a vegetarian or just looking to add more plant-based meals to your diet, hara bhara kababs offer a flavorful and nutritious alternative to meat-based kebabs.

Hara Bhara Kabab can be defined as a vegetarian Indian snack or appetizer made from a blend of fresh green vegetables such as spinach, peas, and potatoes, along with aromatic spices. These ingredients are combined to form a dough-like mixture, shaped into patties or rounds, and then typically fried or baked to a golden, crispy exterior.

The name "Hara Bhara" refers to the vibrant green color of the kababs, with "hara" meaning green in Hindi and "bhara" meaning full or filled. The kababs are known for their rich flavor, nutritious content, and satisfying texture, making them a popular choice for health-conscious eaters, vegetarians, or anyone looking for a delicious, plant-based snack.

Hara bhara kabab is generally a round shaped mix vegetables Patty or tikki which is either baked , shallow fried or deep fried. It is widely used as an appetizer.

Hara bhara kabab is green in colour due to the uses of green vegetables like beans, green peas and spinach puree. Palak paste give it a distinct green color look. Hara bhara kabab can be made using only green peas and palak paste.

Origin of Hara Bhara Kabab
The origins of hara bhara kabab are rooted in Indian cuisine, where kebabs are traditionally made with meats. As vegetarianism became more prominent, this plant-based version emerged as a delicious alternative. The dish is a fusion of North Indian flavors, incorporating fresh spinach and peas with classic Indian spices, creating a satisfying and nutritious snack.

Balances taste, texture, and ease of preparation. A perfect hara bhara kabab should have a crispy exterior, a soft and flavorful interior, and a vibrant green color.

I am sharing two methods to make hara bhara kabab, first one is with grated cauliflower, carrot, green peas puree and spinach paste.

Common Problems When Making Hara Bhara Kababs

• Falling Apart: One of the most common issues is the kababs falling apart during frying. This often happens when the mixture is too moist or lacks enough binding ingredients like chickpea flour or breadcrumbs.

• Overcooking or Undercooking: Achieving the right texture can be tricky. Overcooking can result in dry kababs, while undercooking can make them soggy.

• Lack of Crispiness: Achieving that perfect golden-brown crispiness on the outside while keeping the inside moist and tender is another challenge.

Serving Suggestions
Hara Bhara Kababs can be served as an appetizer or a side dish. They pair wonderfully with mint chutney, yogurt dip, or tamarind chutney. You can also serve them with naan or a fresh salad for a light meal. For an extra touch, garnish with some fresh cilantro or lemon wedges.

Different Methods to Make Hara Bhara Kababs

1. Traditional Deep-Frying:

   • Heat oil in a pan and fry the kababs until golden brown on both sides. This is the classic method that gives them a crispy exterior, but it’s higher in oil.

2. Pan-Frying:

   • Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan and shallow fry the kababs until they are golden and crisp on both sides. This method uses less oil but still provides a satisfying crunch.

3. Air Frying (Healthier Option):

   • Preheat your air fryer to 180°C (350°F). Lightly brush or spray the kababs with oil and place them in the air fryer basket. Cook for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they are crispy and golden. This method reduces the amount of oil used, making it a healthier option while still delivering a crisp texture.

Here I am sharing 2 methods to make hara bhara kabab, first one is with grated cauliflower, carrot, green peas and spinach puree. And the second one is with chopped vegetables like French beans, carrot, cauliflower, potato and green peas.

Grate half of a cauliflower head and half of a carrot. Make one cup fine puree of green peas and half cup of spinach. Heat a pan with some oil and fry some ginger garlic paste till raw smell goes. Add the grated cauliflower and carrot and saute till moistures evaporated.

Then add the green peas puree and cook for 2 minutes.

Now pour the spinach puree and mix well. 

Cook the mixture for another 2 to 3 minutes or till moisture evaporated. Now add the spices, cumin powder, chat masala, garam masala powder, green chili paste and salt. 

Mix everything nicely and cook further one more minute and then remove the mixture. Let it cool down completely. Add some corn flour and bread crumbs.

Mix well to make a smooth dough like mixture. Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves and mix everything again.

After that divide the mixture into small equal parts and roll to make round shaped balls.

Insert one cashewnut at the centre of a ball and press lightly to set. 

Now press the ball between the palm of hands to make a round shape patty. Make more with the remaining mixture.

Heat a pan with oil and shallow fry them from both sides and serve. You can deep fry them till crisp golden as well.

First wash the vegetables and leave to dry. Then with the help of a sharp knife start to chop them one by one. Try to chopped them finely. If the chopped vegetables are big in size then the resulting Patty make get break while cooking.  So try to make fine chopping.  Alternatively you can use a grater to grate them as well which is very simple.

If you have a Mince machine then you can choose a different method to make hara bhara kabab. You can deep fry all the vegetables till  all moisture from them evaporated and they become lightly crisp and cooked. Remove and cool them completely. Using the mince machine make mince (keema) of the fried vegetables.

Saute the vegetables

After chopping all the vegetables or grating them, heat a pan with one tablespoon cooking oil over medium heat flame. When the oil become hot lower the flame to low.

Then add the chopped vegetables and saute till get cooked and all the moisture evaporated.

Shaping the patty

Transfer the vegetable mixture into a mixing bowl and allow to cool down completely. After that grate or mash boiled potato and mix with the vegetable mixture. In place of potato you can use some grated paneer also. Now add all the ingredients one by one and mix well. And make a soft dough.

Add some cashew nuts to the mixture and mix. Adding cashew nuts gives an extra health benefits. It is optional.

Making the kabab

Divide the vegetable dough into small round shaped balls.

Take one ball between the palm of your hands and roll slowly. Then slightly press the ball to make a flat round shaped Patty.

Repeat with all the remaining balls to make more patty.

Cooking the kabab

For shallow frying, take a non stick pan and heat half tablespoon cooking oil over medium heat flame. When the oil become hot lower the flame and slowly add the kabab one by one to the pan and fry . Flip the kabab when one side is done and cook the other side as well.


Similarly you can deep fry the kabab as well.  Heat oil in a deep vessel pan or kadai over medium heat flame and when the oil become hot lower the flame to low. We need to fry the hara bhara kabab in medium hot oil so that they become crisp and we'll cooked from inside as well.

Now carefully add them into the oil and fry till become light brown and crisp. Remove them in a kitchen paper.  Serve them immediately in a garnished plate with green chutney.

You can also bake them but best result come when you shallow fry them. Arrange the kabab in a plate and garnish Serve hot with Mint sauce.

What is Jain Hara bhara kabab

To make a Jain Hara bhara kabab don't use carrot and potato. In place of potato use paneer. Rest of the method are same to make a Jain Hara bhara kebab. You can even use only green peas and palak to make jain hara bhara kabab. For that make fine puree of palak and fry with crushed green peas with some spices. Add mashed or grated paneer, corn flour and bread crumbs. Remove them and cool down. After that make small round shaped balls and make hara bhara kabab.

The recipe is very easy and you can make it right at your kitchen with very few ingredients which is generally present at your kitchen.

For more vegetable or veg starters or snacks

•  Corn cheese balls recipe
•  paneer Seekh Kebab
• vegetable Seekh Kebab recipe

"Hara Bhara" translates to "green and full" in Hindi. "Hara" means green (from the spinach and peas) and "bhara" refers to being full or abundant, symbolizing the rich, vibrant green color of the kababs.

Yes! Hara Bhara Kabab is a nutritious snack, packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals from spinach, peas, and potatoes. It's a great option for vegetarians or anyone looking for a healthy, plant-based alternative to meat kebabs.

Potatoes help bind the ingredients together and add a soft texture, but you can substitute them with other binding ingredients like chickpea flour or breadcrumbs if you're looking to make a lower-carb version.

To prevent kababs from falling apart, ensure your mixture isn’t too wet. Add binding agents like chickpea flour or breadcrumbs to help hold the patties together. Chill the kababs in the fridge for 30 minutes before frying to firm them up.

Yes! You can bake or air fry Hara Bhara Kababs for a healthier alternative to deep frying. For air frying, lightly coat the kababs with oil and cook at 180°C (350°F) for about 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Hara Bhara Kababs pair well with a variety of accompaniments like mint chutney, tamarind chutney, or yogurt dip. They can also be served as a side dish with naan or rice, or enjoyed as an appetizer at parties.

Yes! You can freeze uncooked kababs for later use. Arrange them in a single layer on a tray, freeze them, and then store in an airtight container. When you're ready to cook, simply fry, bake, or air fry them directly from the freezer.

Common spices used in Hara Bhara Kabab include cumin, coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder, and amchur (dried mango powder). These spices give the kababs a warm, flavorful taste with a slight tanginess.

Yes! Hara Bhara Kababs are naturally vegan, as they don't contain any dairy. Just make sure the binding agents you use, like chickpea flour or breadcrumbs, are vegan-friendly (some commercial breadcrumbs may contain dairy).

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