Recipe- Beat The Mid Week Blues With Khasta Kachori

Khasta Kachori originated in Rajasthan, India. Khasta Kachori is a popular snack in Northern and Central India. Khasta Kachori is stuffed with spicy mixture of yellow moong dal fillings. Khasta means crispy, flaky. You can have it with tea in the morning or in the evening, giving your tea experience a different texture and taste. A perfect Khasta Kachori is one that is puffed up and flaky outside but hollow inside as the filling sticks to the crust. This Khasta Kachori can be stored in air-tight containers for up to a week.

Ingredients

Dough

2 cups Plain Flour (Maida)
½ tsp Salt
¼ cup melted Ghee or Oil

Filling

2 cup Yellow Moong Dal (Split Yellow Gram) soaked for 4 hours
¼ tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
2 tsp Fennel Seed Powder
2 tsp Coriander Powder
Pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
2 tsp Ginger-Green Chili Paste
1 ½ tsp Red Chili Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Dried Mango Powder (Amchur)
1 tbsp Oil
Salt

Other

Oil for Deep-Frying

Serving

1 cup Curds
¼ cup Green Chutney
½ cup Khajur Imli Chutney
½ cup Chopped Onion
¼ cup Chopped Tomato
¼ cup Chopped Coriander Leaves
½ cup Sev

Method

Dough

* Combine all the ingredients and knead into firm dough using a little water.

* Knead very well for 5 to 7 minutes.

* Divide the dough into equal parts and keep covered under a wet muslin cloth.

Filling

* Drain moong dal and blend coarsely.

* Heat the oil in a nonstick pan; add the cumin seeds and asafoetida.

* When the seeds crackle, add blended moong dal and sauté for a few seconds.

* Add the green chili-ginger paste, red chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder, amchur, fennel powder, salt and stir for 5 to 7 minutes till the masala cooked.

To Make Kachories

* Take the dough and knead it for a minute.

* Divide the dough in to small parts like lemon.

* Take one part of the dough and with your fingers flatten edges and make circle. Leave center little thicker then edges.

* Mold the dough into a cup and place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center. Pull the edges of the dough to wrap the dal filling. Follow same to make all balls.

* Let the filled ball sit for three to four minutes before rolling.

* Set the Kachories on a surface with seams facing up. Using the base of your palm, slowly flatten them like puri.

* Heat the oil in frying pan over medium heat. To check if oil is ready, put a little piece of dough in the oil. Dough should sizzle and come up very slow.

* Fry them on medium-low heat. After they start to puff, slowly turn them over. Fry until golden-brown on both sides.

* Garnish with curd, chopped onion, tomato, coriander chutney, dates tamarind chutney, sev.

* Kachories can be stored for at least a week in an airtight container.