Khasta Kachori recipe
Kachori is a beloved savory Indian food, often sold on the streets. It has a crispy, flaky jacket of wheat wrapping a savory, spicy filling of moong dal. This homemade version make the perfect snack for a cold evening with a cup of hot tea. A vegan, soy-free and nut-free recipe.
Servings: 18 kachoris
Calories: 132kcal
Ingredients
For the kachori dough
- 1 ½ cups maida (an Indian all purpose flour that's low in protein. I've added an affiliate link here, but if you can't find it, use regular all purpose flour)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ajwain (caraway seeds)
- 4 tablespoon coconut oil (should be solid at room temperature. Refrigerate before using, if it's liquid)
For the stuffing
- ¾ cup moong dal (mung lentils. These are the yellow split moong lentils with no skin, Soak them for 2-3 hours or, preferably, overnight)
- 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 dry red chili peppers
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon amchur (mango powder)
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
- ¼ cup besan (chickpea flour)
- Salt to taste
- Peanut oil or other vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Make the dough
- Place all the dough ingredients in a bowl. Add water, a little at a time, and knead into a soft, pliable but not sticky dough. Form into a smooth ball, cover and set aside.
Make the stuffing
- Drain the soaked lentils and grind them coarsely in a food processor. Some lentils should remain whole--it will give the lentil stuffing better texture.
- In a dry skillet or saucepan, dry roast the fennel, coriander and cumin seeds and dry red chili peppers. Once they start changing color and smell fragrant, turn off the stove and blend them into a coarse powder.
- In the same skillet or saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the coarsely ground spice blend back to the pan along with the turmeric, amchur and the ginger. Saute for a couple of seconds.
- Add the besan to the skillet and roast for a couple of minutes to cook the besan a bit and lose the raw flavor. Add the blended mung lentils to the skillet and mix well. Allow the lentils to cook, stirring them frequently, for 3-5 minutes. Add salt as needed. If the mixture looks too dry at this stage, add a tablespoon or two of water. The filling should have no visible moisture but it should be able to hold together in a ball.
- Make 18 balls with the stuffing when cool enough to handle.
Put the kachoris together
- Make 18 smooth balls of dough, about an inch in diameter.
- To form the kachoris, take one of the dough balls. Either pinch the dough with your fingers or, preferably, use a rolling pin, to make a three-inch circle.
- Place the ball of stuffing inside the circle of dough. Using your pingers, bring the edges over to the top as if you were making a dumpling. Seal the top and pinch off any excess dough.
- Roll into a smooth ball between the palms of your hands. Flatten each ball into a disc approximately three inches in diameter.
Fry the kachoris
- Heat enough oil in a frying pan or wok to completely immerse the kachoris. If you have a frying thermometer or candy thermometer, let the oil come up to a temperature of 325 degrees. Otherwise, test the temperature with a small piece of dough. It should drop to the bottom, bubble, and slowly rise.
- Place three to four kachoris in the oil, depending on the size of your fryer. Don't overcrowd them. Let them cook until golden-brown on one side, then flip and cook the other side.
- Remove to a colander or dish lined with paper towels. These are delicious cold, but they are best enjoyed hot.
Nutrition
Serving: 1kachori | Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg