Hara bhara kabab is considered to be the go-to snack of vegetarians. They love the soft and succulent texture and never get tired of eating them. As the name suggests, this green colour veg kabab can be served as a starter for dinner parties or eaten as a snack with steaming hot tea.
Hara bhara kabab is not only tasty but provides a wide range of nutrition to our bodies. They are flavourful pan-fried patties loaded with spinach, green peas, and potatoes. This recipe can also be incorporated into the diet of vegans. This is mainly a North Indian delicacy that has the nutritional goodness of both spinach and green peas. Hara bhara kabab can be made in two ways – either it can be baked or pan-fried. To make the dish more flavourful, you can pair this kabab with chutney dip or sauce.
However, if you’re a newbie and making hara bhara khaba for the first time, then there are some tips that you should keep in mind while preparing. Here are some of the tips you can follow:
- Choice Of Ingredients
This plays a pivotal role in making hara bhara kabab. Start by choosing fresh and high-quality produce such as fresh spinach and peas to ensure that the kababs boast vibrant flavours and texture. The bright green hues elevate the visual appeal of the dish but also contribute to its nutritional value. The spinach lends a unique earthy flavour, while the green peas provide a subtle sweetness. Besides, selecting potatoes is also crucial as they should be starchy enough to bind the mixture without becoming overly mushy when boiled. Each ingredient influences the flavour of the kabab, which makes it an irresistible treat.
- Blanch The Spinach
Blanching the spinach serves multiple purposes, such as enhancing the texture, colour, and flavour of the dish. Briefly immerse the spinach leaves in boiling water and then transfer them immediately to ice-cold water. This helps retain the spinach's vibrant green colour while preserving its nutritional value. This process softens the spinach leaves just enough to make them easy to grind into a smooth paste or coarse mixture, depending upon the preference. Blanching also removes the bitterness from the spinach, resulting in a milder flavour that complements the other ingredients in the kabab mixture.
- Cook The Potatoes Completely
Potatoes are the primary binding agent in the kabab mixture that holds the ingredients together. It is important to boil the potatoes until they are tender but not mushy. If you overcook the potatoes, it can lead to a sticky and dense kabab mixture, making it difficult to shape into patties, thus affecting the overall taste. On the other hand, undercooked potatoes will not blend well with the other ingredients, resulting in an uneven texture. Thus, it is important to pay attention to the cooking of the potatoes.
See the video to make hara bhara kabab here:
- Grind Ingredients Properly
This is an essential tip you should keep in mind while preparing hara bhara kabab. It is important to grind the ingredients properly, which directly influences the texture and consistency of the final dish. The process of grinding the blanched spinach, peas, and potatoes determines the uniformity of the mixture. Proper grinding of the ingredients strikes a balance between achieving a mixture that holds together well and retaining some texture and bite. Over-grinding can result in a paste-like consistency, making it difficult for you to shape the kabab. Moreover, under-grinding may leave large chunks of ingredients, destroying the overall taste.
- Use Binding Agents
While making hara bhara kababs, it is important to use binding agents like breadcrumbs, cornflour, or besan that will allow the mixture to hold together and maintain the shape of the kababs during cooking. If you do not use binding agents, you may see the kabab mixture falling apart while frying or baking, resulting in a messy and unappealing dish. Besides, the binding agents contribute to the texture of the kabab, giving them a firm shape as they absorb excess moisture from the ingredients.
- Chill The Mixture
This tip serves multiple important purposes. Refrigerating the mixture allows it to firm up, thus making it easier to shape into patties. The chilled mixture holds the shape better, preventing the kababs from falling apart, especially during cooking. Also, chilling the mixture helps the favours to meld together, resulting in a more flavourful product. Moreover, the resting period ensures that the excess moisture is absorbed, thus making the kabab achieve the ideal texture.