Kachori Recipes

Kachori recipes

Kachoris Recipes

Today being New Years Eve, and with the weather cold and wet, I decided to stay indoors and practice my cooking, by learning how to cook Kachoris, which is basically a pastry with filling, for the Lord. I have only actually made them a few times, although I have eaten countless kachoris at various feasts. So I searched for some recipes in our cookbooks and on the Internet and found a nice selection of recipes for different types of Kachoris at harekrsna.com. So I have posted many nice Kachori recipes or variations, and will pick one to cook today for our New years eve offering.

kachori

We begin by making the pastry and then have the option of different types of filling, and finally deep frying them in ghee or oil.

We have included a basic pastry or soft dough recipe (basic dough for puris) and can begin with that.

1 cup regular flour (maida)
1/2 cup wheat flour (atta)
2 1/2 tbsp ghee

few tips for making the pastry dough:

  • for making any flaky pastry, the proportion of flour to oil/ghee is important.
  • also the amount of water required to knead is another important factor that determines the flakiness. too much water will make the dough crisp but not flaky and too little can dry out the dough.
  • keep the dough covered with a moist cloth at all times.

options for filling the dough:

1) make little cups of the dough. Place the ball of potato filling in the middle. Cover with the dough. Roll into thick round and deep fry in ghee.

2) make small balls of dough and roll them out, place little filling in the centre and close to form a pouch. Roll this out and fry like pooris or like parathas.

3) take handful of dough and roll it to a medium size poori. Take a spoonful of the filling and place it in the center of the rolled poori. Cover the mixture by taking all the sides of the poori and close it by bringing all the edges in the center, flatten with very little pressure.

  • Well you get the idea…they can vary in size and shape.

tips for cooking the kachori’s:

  • next comes the frying, if the ghee is too it won’t allow the dough to get flaky resulting in a crisp exterior with uncooked interiors and filling. if the oil is too cold up the dough soaks up a lot of oil and the result would be an oily pastry.
  • to check the temperature while frying, add a small piece of dough to the oil, if it comes steadily to the surface, then the kachoris are ready to be fried (if the the dough comes quickly, the oil is hot. so lower the flame. if it takes a lot of time to come, then the dough is cold. increase the flame).
  • a point to be remembered is that when you add the kachoris to the hot oil, the temperature of the oil does get lowered naturally, so accordingly increase a bit of the flame.

Matar Kachori

For the Stuffing:

Green peas
2 green chillies
2-3 cloves
3-4 tbsp ghee
1-1/2 tbsp. besan
1 tsp amchur powder or 2 tsp. lemon juice
Salt to taste
Ginger 1 inch
½ tsp asofoetida
Garam masala 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp

For the Dough:

1-1/2 cups regular flour
Salt to taste
Ghee

For the Dough: Mix all ingredients and knead dough with scant cold water. Dough should not be too hard. Leave it aside for 20- 25 minutes covered. For the Stuffing: In a grinder crush the cloves, green chilli and ginger then add peas to it and grind it coarsely without adding water. In a little hot ghee, on medium high fry the peas mixture. Add besan, salt and turmeric powder to it and mix it properly. Let it cook on medium low for at least 35 to 45 minutes and stir it every 5 to 10 minutes so that it does not stick on the bottom of the pan. Then add garam masala and lemon juice or amchur powder to it and cook for 2-4 minutes until done. Let it cool. For Kachori Make a slightly thick chapati with the dough. Stuff the stuffing in the centre and cover it with sides of the rolled chapatti Press from top so it does not open. Deep fry in ghee until brown.

Alu Kachori

Filling:

Potato 1 pound
Green chilies 3-4
Cumin seeds (Jeera) 1tsp
Ginger 1″ piece
Salt To taste
Garam Masala 1 tsp.
Amchur 2 tsp.
Ghee 2 tbsp.

Grind the ginger, green chilies, jeera and garam masala. Heat ghee in a kadhai. Add ground masala. Add the smashed potatoes and stir-fry it well. Make little balls. Set aside. Make the covering with the flour and wheat flour and ghee to firm dough. Make little cups of the dough. Place the ball of potato filling in the middle. Cover with the dough. Roll into thick round and deep fry in ghee.

Green Peas Kachori

Filling:

1/2 cup green peas
1 inch fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp. aniseeds
4 green chilies, paste
ghee for frying
salt to taste

Heat ghee in a pan, add the ginger, chilli paste and the aniseed. Fry this mixture for 2 minutes, then add the green peas and salt. Cook this for 5 minutes then allow it to cool. Next, grind the peas mixture in a blender. Mix together the flours, ghee and salt scant adding water till you form a smooth dough. Take a small ball of dough and roll it out, place little filling in the center and close to form a pouch. Roll this out and fry like pooris or like parathas.

Green Sweet Peas Pattice

1 cup Green Peas
3 cups Maida (flour)
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 inch ginger, minced
1 tsp Til (sesame seeds)
4-5 green chillis,finely chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp asofoetida
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
Chopped coriander
Salt to taste
ghee for deep frying

Boil the green peas for a very little time. Blend the peas into a coarse paste. Take a tbsp of ghee in a deep pan and add the peas paste and cook it. Add green chillis, ginger paste, til, coriander powder, chopped coriander, sugar, lemon juice, garam masala and salt and mix well. Add breadcrumbs and mix well. Set the mixture aside. Take maida and add little salt and add 1 tsp of ghee. Knead the flour with a little cold water till it becomes pliable dough. Take handful of dough and roll it to a medium size poori. Take a spoonful of the pea filling and place it in the center of the rolled poori. Cover the mixture by taking all the sides of the poori and close it by bringing all the edges in the center, flatten with very little pressure. Heat ghee in a pan and deep fry the pattice until golden brown and little crisp. Offer hot or at room temperature.

Hot Kachori

For the pastry:

1-1/2 cups plain flour
3 tbsp. ghee
salt to taste
cold water to knead dough

for the filling:

1 cup yellow moong dal, washed and soaked for 1/2 hour
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. dhania (coriander) powder
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds, crushed coarsely
1/2 tsp. fennel (saunf) seeds, crushed coarsely
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tbsp. coriander leaves, finely chopped
salt to taste
2-3 pinches asafoetida
1 tbsp. ghee
oil to deep fry
1 tbsp. plain flour for patching

For pastry: Mix flour, salt and ghee, knead into soft pliable dough. Set aside for 30 minutes.

For filling: Put plenty of water to boil. Add dal. Boil dal for 5 minutes, drain. Cool a little. Heat ghee in a heavy pan. Add all seeds whole and crushed and allow to splutter. Add asafoetida, mix. Add all other ingredients. Mix well. Do not smash the dal fully, but just enough to make the mixture hold well. Remove from fire, cool. Divide into 15 portions. Shape into balls with greased palms. Set aside.

Make a paste with scant water and flour for patching. Set aside. Roll a walnut sized portion of dough. Knead into a round and flatten, rolling to a 4 inch diameter Place one ball of filling at centre. Pick up round and wrap ball into it like a pouch. Break off excess dough carefully. Do not allow cover to tear. Press the ball with palm, making it flattish and round. Repeat for 4-5 kachories. Deep fry in hot ghee, on low flame only. If the kachori gets a hole anywhere, apply some paste. Return to ghee and finish frying. Turn and repeat for other side. Fry till golden and crisp. Small bubbles should appear over kachori. Drain and offer hot. Take care to fry on low, as hurried frying will result in soggy and oily kachories.

Kachoris #1

1 cup of Moong Dhal (Cooked)

For Filling:
3 green chillies(minced)
4-5 mint leaves
Small bundle corriander leaves chopped finely
sprig curry leaves
salt to taste
1 tsp shredded ginger
2 tbspns of ghee
1 tsp asofoetida
1/2 tsp Jeera (cumin)
1/4 tsp Saunf (fennel)
1/2 tsp Mango powder -1 tspn
turmeric pwd 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala 1 tsp
Chillie Powder – 1 tsp

for the pastry (dough):

1-1/2 Cups Maida
2-3 tbspns ghee
salt to taste
Ghee for deep frying

Make dough like for Puri or Chappatti and set aside. Take half quantity of coked dal and mash it and keep half of the dal aside. Heat ghee fry the green chillies, mint, coriander leaves, and curry leaves, then add the jeera and saunf and fry till it splutters. Add the mashed dhal garam masala, mango powder, turmeric powder, chillie powder, salt and fry on low heat till dry. Remove and set aside to let it cool. In the meantime pour ghee in a wok to get hot. While the ghee is getting hot make small puris, putting a tbspn of the dhal mixture in the center and gathering the ends of the circle and firmly pressing the gathering, then slightly flatten with palm and deep fry till golden brown.

Kachoris #2

2 cups wholewheat flour
1/2 cup mung dhal
1/2 cup channa dhal
3 cardamoms crushed
6 peppercorns
4 cloves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
ghee for frying
salt to taste

Soak the dhals overnight. Drain and grind to make a paste. Rub a little ghee into the flour and salt. Gradually mix in enough water to make a stiff dough. Grind the cloves, peppercorns, cardamoms and cumin seeds. Heat a teaspoon of ghee and fry the dhal paste, ground masala and salt. Knead the flour dough and divide into balls. Flatten and put in a portion of dal filling. Close up and roll out into thick round puris. Deep fry in ghee till golden brown. Remove, drain, and offer.

Kachori #3

Urad dal 1/2 cup
Asofoetida (hing) 1 tsp
Ginger-Green chillies paste 3 tbsp
Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Cayenne powder 1/2 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp

Ghee 2 tbsp
Maida (flour) 3 cups

Ghee for frying

For the Stuffing: Soak dal overnight. Semi-grind the dal with as little water as possible. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee and fry the hing. Now add the ginger-chillies paste. When the oil separates, put the semi-ground dal in and keep stirring to make sure it does not stick to the bottom. Now add salt, red chilli powder, pepper powder. Mix well. Keep stirring till the dal begins to form a thick paste. Let cool.

For the Kachori: Make a soft dough with maida, salt and 6 tbsp of ghee. Make small balls, flatten each ball, put the stuffing inside. Roll them like lightly, slightly thicker than puris. Deep fry the kachoris in ghee.

Karaishuti Kachuri

1-1/2 cups maida (flour)
4 small green chillies
Salt to taste
2 tbsps aniseeds
3 tbsps ghee
¼ tsp asafetida
½ pound green peas, shelled
1 inch piece ginger
Ghee for deep frying

Add 2 tbsps ghee and a pinch of salt in the flour and mix it well, adding a little water at a time and kneading to a soft dough. Grind the peas, ginger, chillies and aniseeds to a fine paste. Fry the asafetida till light brown. Add the pea paste and salt. Fry well till the paste is cooked. Remove from the fire and let it cool. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Press each ball in the center and fill it with the pea mixture. Close the opening well and flatten. Roll out as for puris. Deep fry in hot ghee on slow fire till golden brown. Drain excess ghee.

Khasta Kachori

1-1/2 cups urad (moong dal washed)
1-1/2 cups maida (flour)
Ghee for frying
3 or 4 green chilies chopped
1 inch fresh ginger chopped
1 tsp. coriander seeds crushed
1 tsp. aniseeds
Salt to taste
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp. garam masala powder

Soak urad dal overnight. Strain and spread the dal on thin cloth in shade, and leave till the next morning to dry. Heat a little ghee and fry the dal till pinkish. Add the spices, salt and green chilies. Mix well. Knead the maida with a pinch of salt, a tbsp. of warm ghee and little water to make a stiff dough. Roll small-sized puris and put a spoon of urad dal mixture in the center of the balls. Let them dry for sometime, then deep fry the kachooris until crisp and golden brown on slow heat.

Urad Dal Ki Kachori

Urad dal (split) 1/2 cup
Red chillis ground 1/2 tsp
Cumin seed 1/2 tsp
Wheat flour 1 1/2 cups
Ghee 4 tsp
Water 1/2 cup
Ghee for deep frying
Salt to taste

Soak the dal in water overnight. Drain and grain it to a fine paste. Heat half the ghee and fry dal paste till dry. Then mix cumin seeds, chillis and salt. Mix flour, remaining ghee, salt and water to make a dough. Knead it well and make a stiff dough. Cover it with a damp cloth and keep it aside for half an hour. Make small ball like tikki. Put one tablespoon of dal paste in the centre of each tikki. Pinch the edges together to form a ball again. Roll out into 2 inches chapatis. Heat the ghee and deep fry these kacauris till light brown and puffed. Serve hot.

Kachori-Recipe