Hara Bhara Kabab Masala ( Spinach cheese balls in a creamy tomato sauce)

Hara Bhara Kabab Masala recipe is an adaptation or enhancement of something that I learned to make years ago – the Hara Bhara Kabab, when it was not common to see this kind of a ‘kabab’ on restaurant menu cards. They served a version of it at our club.

Very different from now, when almost every small joint that opens up in our Pune neighborhood has things like Hariyali kabab, Hara Kabab etc. on the menu.

So one fine summer many moons ago, when us kids were being especially troublesome, some family elder heard about a cooking class and dispatched self and cousin there, hoping to keep us busy for at least a few hours.

The ‘class’ turned out to be much better than expected, and I am pretty sure it lent a hand in developing some of my culinary instincts. Some things I learned there are even now coming into vogue, and I really admire the lady who taught us and wonder how she was sort of advanced for the time.

There used to be 2-3 things made everyday and we could take some home, so by the time we got home, there used to be a bunch of rowdy kids – cousins and siblings – waiting on the doorstep, ready to sample the exotic fare we had ‘cooked’ that day.

We were taught this Hara Bhara ( Green) Kabab recipe in the ‘Appetizers’ section and it has been the star of several cocktail parties at our home. The basic ingredient is spinach, and to balance it there is potato and paneer and a bare min of spices.

Since I did not have much else, and needed something for dinner, I decided to make a sort of kofta curry out of this and serve it with rice to make a complete meal. The initial part – the Kabas – can also be eaten by themselves with some dipping sauce – yogurt and mint will go well with this.

I have made an additional Makhni type gravy or a tomato cream sauce to accompany these balls/croquettes/koftas.

I used the Appe Patra or Aebleskiver pan to ‘fry’ the kababs, instead of shallow or deep frying them. This is one gadget which is certainly NOT overrated. My only peeve is that it did not reduce the smoke generated, as compared to using a frying pan.

The recipe for Hara Bhara Kabab Masala is as follows –

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About Pragati Bidkar