Hara Bhara Kabab Recipe (Fried + Air Fried + Baked)

Hara Bhara Kabab is a popular North Indian appetizer or snack made with spinach, green peas, potatoes, and aromatic spices. Hara Bhara means green in Hindi. This kabab is green, hence the name.

It is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Although these taste best when deep-fried, you can also make awesome versions by baking or air-frying them.

Serve this restaurant-style kabab with a cup of masala chai, green chutney, dahi chutney, or ketchup. I also like to sprinkle some homemade chaat masala over them. It is also a great school snack for kids or appetizers for parties.

My mom is the only vegetarian in our family. Whenever we have a get-together, I make a full spread, mostly non-vegetarian, but for her, I try to make just 1-2 dishes, and those dishes must be very special.

It was a slightly chilly day yesterday, and the weather called for something fried and crispy. I made my all-time favorite Chicken Pakora and Fish Fingers for us, and for Mom, I made her favorite Hare Kabab.

Here are some more appetizer recipes: Hariyali Paneer Tikka, Tandoori Soya Chaap, Moong Dal Pakoda, Goli Baje, and Onion Pakoda.

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Making Hara Bhara Kabab

These kababs are fairly easy to make if you keep a few things in mind. I have found a few mistakes people make when making these. I am listing them here. Do read them before starting to make this recipe.

Mistake	Why It Happens	How to Fix
Mixture too wet	Adding extra liquid while blending spinach or peas	Blend using minimal water. Add more breadcrumbs
Mixture Too Tight	Kabab will turn too dense	Add a splash of water
Not cooling the potatoes	Warm potatoes make the mixture sticky and loose	Boil potatoes ahead of time and cool completely before mashing
Skipping binding agents	Kababs break while shaping or frying	Add adequate breadcrumbs, besan, and cornflour
Over-mashing the mixture	Leads to dense, pasty kababs	Mash just until combined; keep some texture
Frying on low heat	Kababs absorb oil and turn soggy	Fry on medium heat so they crisp properly
Flipping too early	Kababs break in the pan	Let one side form a crust before turning
Uneven shaping	Some kababs cook faster than others	Shape uniform, medium-thick patties
Crowding the pan	Temperature drops and kababs steam	Fry in batches with space between them

How To Make Hara Bhara Kebab

Blanch The Spinach And Peas

Step 1: Heat 2-3 cups of water in a pan over medium-high heat.

Step 2: Once the water comes to a boil, add 2 teaspoon of sugar and stir until dissolved. Adding a little sugar when blanching helps to retain the bright green color of the greens.

Step 3: Add 1 cup of chopped spinach (packed and rinsed) and ½ cup of green peas (fresh or frozen) to the pan, and cook for 2 minutes.

Step 4: Remove the pan from the heat, then strain the spinach and peas through a fine-mesh strainer.

Step 5: Run them under cold water to stop the cooking process and maintain the lovely green color. Drain well.

Make The Green Paste

Step 6: Add the blanched spinach and peas to a blender along with the following ingredients and blend to make a coarse paste.

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies
• 1 teaspoon peeled and chopped ginger
• 1 tablespoon water

Scrape the sides of the blender a few times while blending.

Note – Do not add more water; otherwise, the kabab mixture will become pasty.

Make The Kabab Mixture

Step 7: Transfer the green paste to a medium mixing bowl. 

Step 8: Add the following ingredients to the bowl and mix just until combined.

• 1 cup of grated boiled potatoes
• 2 tablespoon chickpea flour
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon dry mango powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder

The kabab mixture should be easy to handle. It should neither be too thick nor too runny. If the mixture looks too thick, add a few tablespoons of water; if it looks too runny, add some breadcrumbs.

Step 9: Take a small lime-sized mixture and shape it into a smooth ball. Gently press the ball, then press a cashew half into the center.

Note: Apply oil to your palms if the mixture sticks while shaping.

Shape all the kababs in the same manner.

Cook The Kabab

Fry The Kabab

Step 10: Heat 3-4 cups of oil over medium-high heat.

Step 11: Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium.

Step 12: Drop 5-6 kababs into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, flipping a few times in between.

Step 13: Drain on a plate lined with kitchen tissues.

Fry the remaining kabab in the same manner. Serve hot.

Bake The Kabab

Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C). Arrange the kababs on a baking sheet in a single layer and spray them with oil. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the kababs and bake for 5-10 minutes until they are nicely browned.

Air Fry The Hara Bhara Kabab

To make these in an air fryer, preheat it to 360°F (180°C). Then, arrange the kabab in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Spray or brush with oil. Air fry for 10 minutes. Then flip and air-fry for another 5-10 minutes, until nicely browned.