Cooked Hara Bhara Kebab with a twist.  Used fresh Spinach (Paalak) leaves, roasted chana, Paneer (cottage cheese) and Cashew nuts for filling.  Hara Bhara Kebab was super delicious.  You should try cooking it too using this recipe.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Fresh Paneer (Cottage Cheese) – 300 gms. Crush it using your palm and fingers.
  • Cashew Nuts (Kaaju) – 200 gms.  Chop it or crush it into coarse granules.
  • Garam Masala powder – Half tsp.
  • Jaifal (Nutmeg) powder – quarter of tsp.
  • Fresh Green Chilli – 4 pieces. Finely chopped.
  • Fresh Ginger – 2 to 3 inch inch size. Finely chopped.
  • Garlic – 8 cloves. Finely chopped.
  • Salt to taste.
  • Black Pepper corns – 1 tbs.
  • Lawang (Cloves) – Half tsp.
  • Jeera seeds – 1 tbs.
  • Lime juice – 1 tbs.
  • Tej Patta (Bay Leaves) – Two.
  • Ghee – as required.
  • Fresh Paalak (Spinach) Leaves – One large bunch.  Clean under water.
  • Cold Water with lots of Ice in it – in a large utensil or bowl.
  • Chana Dal – One cup.  Soaked for 4 to 6 hours in water.
  • Rava (Semolina) – two cups.

Method:

  • Take a large pan or kadai.  Add One cup of water and boil it.
  • Add soaked chana dal(removed from soaked water), half of chopped green chilli, black pepper corn, lawang, bay leaves, pinch of salt, half the amount of garlic, half the amount of ginger to the hot water in the pan.
  • Cook the chana dal until it becomes soft (should be able to crush it using two fingers).
  • Turn off the flame.  Let this chana dal mixture cool down.
  • Take a Mixer Grinder.  Transfer the cooled chana dal mixture to the grinder. Add very little water and One tbs of Ghee to it.
  • Grind this mixture to a fine paste.  Keep it aside in a seperate bowl.
  • Take a large Kadai or Pan.  Add one tsp of salt and plenty of water.  Boil it until you see bubbles and steam coming out of water.
  • Add clean Paalak (Spinach) leaves to this boiling water.  Saute it for 2 to 3 minutes only.
  • Immediately remove the saute’ed paalak leaves from boiling water and transfer it / dip it into the cold water with ice.  This stops the cooking process of paalak and also helps retain the green colour.
  • Allow the saute’ed paalak leaves to cool down.  
  • Remove the paalak leaves from cold water, and squeze excess water from the leaves.  Do this for all the leaves.
  • Transfer the leaves to a mixer grinder and grind it into a fine paste.  Keep it aside.
  • Take a large frying pan.  Add 2 to 3 tbs of ghee.  Allow it to melt.
  • Add Jeera seeds to the hot ghee and allow it to crackle.
  • Add Paalak leaves fine paste to the hot ghee.  Stir it and cook the Paalak paste for 2 to 3 minutes on high flame.
  • Add the chana dal mixture paste into the Kadai.  Mix it well with Paalak paste and cook it for another 3 to 4 minutes.  Keep stiring this mixture to avoid burning or sticking on the kadai.
  • Remove this cooked mixture of Paalak paste and Chana dal paste in a bowl.  Allow it to cool down.
  • Keep this cooled Paalak and Chana dal paste in to the freeezer for 20 minutes.  This will help the paste to bind nicely.
  • Take a frying pan and add 2 tbs of ghee.  Heat it up.
  • Add remaining ginger, garlic, crushed cashew nuts, remaining green chilli and stir it for 2 to 3 minutes on high flame.
  • Add crushed paneer, garam masala powder, salt to taste, nutmeg powder into the kadai.  Mix them well on high flame and continuously keep stiring for another 3 to 4 minutes.  
  • Turn off the heat and allow this paneer cashew mixture to cool down.
  • Take out the Paalak mixture from freezer and make small balls.  Flatten it gently using your palm into a small cup shape.
  • Add little bit (1 tbs) of Paneer Cashew nut mixture into this cup shapped Paalak.
  • Gently close the cup having paneer cashew nut mixture in it.  Gently press it from all sides and make it into round shape using your palm.
  • Do the above four steps for all the remaining Paalak balls and Paneer mixture.
  • After done, keep these round paneer filled paalak kebabs into the freezer for another 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes remove these uncooked hara bhara kebabs from freezer.
  • Take a plate and spread Rawa on it.
  • Take a flat frying pan and add 2 tbs of ghee.  Heat it up.
  • Genltly pick the kebabs and place it on the rawa.  Coat the kebabs with rava on both sides.  Dust the excess rava.
  • Carefully place this rava coated Hara Bhara Kebabs in the frying pan with hot ghee.
  • Fry this Kebab from both sides on slow to medium flame until it turns light golden brown from both sides.  Do this for all the remaining uncooked Kebabs.
  • Healthy and Rich Hara Bhara Kebabs are ready to be eaten.  Serve hot with sweet chilli garlic sauce or tomato ketchup.
  • Happy Eating.