Preparation time : 40 minutes
Cooking time : 8-10 minutes
Serves : 4 members
Description
There are a few dishes which I feel nervous about when thinking of giving a try. Kachori is one such dish that always gave me shiver’s. Not sure why but it was so. I kept postponing my trial over the kachori’s always. One fine day when I had absolutely nothing to do at all and felt so useless about myself and life. That was the time I was craving for a challenge to be broken and the kachori popped up in my mind. With all the courage in me started to prep and go ahead with the dish. Through out having zero hopes of the kachori coming out well. The first batch of kachoris in the oil with me praying it must puff up, puff up, puff up… finally they did puff up . Then I went to say repeatedly.. please stay puffed up , puffed up , puffed up…
they did stay puffed up.. my heart smiled with joy of mastering and ticking another dish to be made in my bucket list. The real test was to get good remarks from my North Indian friend who I shared a few of the kachori ‘s with. She was all praises saying,”it tastes just like what we have in Delhi .you have blessed magical hands”. I was like ” why was I so nervous about making these kachori’s. Stop underestimating your self like this .” Well at times we need to motivate our own selves like so I guess.
Ingredients for the dough
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Wheat flour | 1/2 cup |
| Flour / maida | 1/2 cup |
| Salt | to taste |
| Oil | 2 tablespoons |
| Ice water | as needed |
Ingredients for the filling
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Moong dal namkeen ( deep fried crispy moong dal ) | 1/2 cup |
| Asafoetida | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Cumin powder | 2 teaspoons |
| Coriander powder | 2 teaspoons |
| Red chilly powder | 2 teaspoons |
| Dry mango powder ( amchur powder) | 2 teaspoons |
| Fennel seed powder | 2 teaspoons |
| Dry anardhana powder ( dry pomegranate powder) | 2 teaspoons |
| Chat masala powder | 2 teaspoons |
| Oil | to deep fry |
Method for the dough
- Mix wheat flour, flour, salt and oil together. Add ice water little at a time and knead well to get a soft but tight dough. Keep the dough covered for 15 minutes.
Method for the filling
- Powder the moong dal namkeen to a coarse powder with out adding water.
- Mix cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder, dry mango powder, fennel seed powder, pomegranate powder and chat masala powder together.
- To this mixed powder add the moon dal coarse powder and mix well. Taste and check seasoning. Keep aside.
How to proceed
- Knead the dough once again. Then roll into equal lemon size balls. Take one lemon size ball and press between your palms. Then flatten the edges alone leaving the middle part thick. The circle must be of 3 inch diameter.
- Hold the edges together to get a cup shape. Fill the hollow dent in the middle with 1 teaspoon of moong dal namkeen mixture. Bring the edges together and roll into round ball gently. Do the same to all the dough and moong dal namkeen mix. Leave them aside for five minutes.
- Place the edges together rolled side facing on top over a clean kitchen counter. Press gently with your palms to get a round shape of 3 inch diameter circle that is of one inch thickness. Do the same to all the lemon sized rolled balls.
- Heat oil to deep fry. Lower the flame to medium and deep fry in batches of two at a time for eight to ten minutes until they puff up to get crisp and golden in color.
- Drain and serve hot with curd, sweet chutney and coriander chutney.
