Khasta Kachori is a delicious India snack, which adds to the chats category of recipes. Kachori is something similar to the Samosas but the shape and filling differs, though sometimes the same filling also can be used. Kachoris and samosas are like cousins in the chat family. Unlike Samosas, I have blogged earlier, the Kachori chat is also relished with a sweet tamarind and dates chutney, and the green chutney. You get a dose of nostalgia free with Kachori chat served in a leaf plate.
There are variety of fillings, which goes particularly in Khasta Kachoris like potato filling, peas filling, onion filling, and lentil filling. In lentil filling too, there are two types of lentil filling, which goes as stuffing into these Kachoris like black gram (Urad dal) and split Yellow gram (dhuli moong dal). Whatever the filling is but the split green gram filling is very popular among the North India. Here you can see the recipe of a split yellow gram Khasta Kachori, again popularly called as 'Moong Dal Kachori' or 'Khasta Kachori' (Khasta meaning crispy). Try this recipe and I am sure everyone in your family, specially little ones, will rave about these tasty home-made Kachoris.
Ingredients:
1. All purpose flour (maida) - 1 and half cup
2. Split yellow gram (dhuli moong dal) - 1/2 cup
3. Fennel seeds (saunf) - 1 tsp.
4. Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 and half tsp.
5. Coriander seeds (Khada dhania) - 1 tbsp.
6. Chilly powder - 2 tsp.
7. Garam masala - 1 tsp.
8. Dry Mango powder (amchur) - 1 tsp.
9. Oil for frying, as well as 4 to 5 tbsp. of oil in making the dough
10. Salt to taste
Cooking Method:
1. Soak the split yellow gram in water for atleast 2 hours.
2. Mix all purpose flour, salt and 4 to 5 tbsp. of oil. With your fingertips, rub the oil into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a soft dough adding water to this and keep aside covered with a damp cloth.
3. After the said 2 hours separate the water from the split yellow gram, allow it to dry for about 5 minutes and blend it coarsely. Now heat about 1 tsp of oil in a pan, and add cumin seeds, coriander seeds and fennel seeds. Once all these gets into the oil, add coarse split yellow gram and salt, and fry this well in low- to-medium flame for about 15 minutes. Add all dry powders like chilly powder, garam masala and dry mango powder to it. Let it remain on flame for another 5 minutes and switch off. Let the mixture get cool.
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| Kachori Filling and dough shaped in the form of kachoris |
4. Make Kachoris by pinching little dough and make space for the filling by slowly pressing the dough with your fingers rotating, stuff in it the lentil mixture and seal it by combining the dough into the center (take the help of drop of water to seal it well). Now pat this dough giving it a shape as shown in the picture. Shape the rest of the dough same way and finish of the filling.
5. Heat up oil in pan and slowly drop these stuffing-filled-shaped dough into this and fry it on low-medium flame until you see the light golden colour. (I usually fry a batch of 4 to 5 Kachoris in my medium pan).
6. Relish these crispy, tasty lentil-filled snack by crushing it in the middle and adding spicy green chutney and sour chutney.
Note:
1. A rolling pin can also be used to flatten the dough and then adding the mixture, and then combining and again roll it little bit to give it an exact shape. But by doing so, the kachoris will get the shape but will not puff up, as it is required.
Note:
1. A rolling pin can also be used to flatten the dough and then adding the mixture, and then combining and again roll it little bit to give it an exact shape. But by doing so, the kachoris will get the shape but will not puff up, as it is required.
