Recipe- Crispy Flaky Matar Ki Kachori

Crispy Flaky Matar Ki Kachori, a delicious North Indian snack filled with spicy peas filling and best enjoyed with chutneys and potato curry.

Kachoris are flaky deep fried Indian pastries with various fillings(savoury and sweet).

Savoury Kachoris are stuffed with various spicy fillings like urad dal(split black lentils), potatoes and onion mix. These are a popular breakfast and brunch or evening snack item in North Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana. In many places ,you can see stalls of sweets shops and vendors during early morning hrs or evening chai time.

Ingredients

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 tsp Ajwain/Caraway Seeds
1/2 Cup Water for Kneading
1 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Oil/Desi Ghee
Oil for Frying
Cup Fresh Green Peas can use frozen also
2 tbsp Chickpea Flour optional
1-2 Green Chillies
1" Ginger Piece
1 tsp Cumin Seeds/Jeera
1/4 tsp Hing/Asafetida
1 tsp Amchoor Powder/Dry Mango Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tbsp Kachori Masala
2 tsp Any good plant based Oil I use Mustard Oil
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Cumin Seeds
2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
2 tbsp Fennel Seeds

Method

* For Outer Pastry Covering

* In a mixing bowl add Whole Wheat Flour/Atta, Ajwain, salt and mix.

* Add oil to four and rub nicely with fingers, till flour mix is of breadcrumbs consistency.

* Knead to soft dough adding cold water little by little.

* Keep dough aside for 20 mins.

* Dry roast all the spices under kadhai masala and then coarsely grind. You can use coffee grinder/mixer or crush by rolling pin.

* Wash peas nicely and then grind to a coarse paste.

* In a pan or kadhai, add oil, then add cumin seeds, hing..

* Add coarse pea mix., then add kachori masala, red chilli powder, amchur/dry mango powder and salt.

* Mix well and cook peas 2-3 mins.

* Add chickpea flour and roast the pea and flour mix, till it gives aroma(nutty aroma of chickpea flour)

* Take off the heat and let it cool completely before filling in kachori.

* Divide the dough into tennis ball sized equal portions.

* Roll each portion in a small circular disc of about 2.5" diameter. Refer video recipe.

* Keep spoonful of filling in middle of rolled dough, then get together the sides, seal the dough tightly, remove extra dough.

* Do not over stuff Kachoris.

* Gently roll without putting any pressure, else fulling will come out of the dough.

* Likewise repeat for all the portions. Keep rest of the rolled kachoris covered with a damp kitchen cloth ,else outer covering will dry out.

* Meanwhile. heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan/kadhai.

* Check if the oil is hot enough to cook kachori. Put a small portion of dough in hot oil. Add kachori if it rises slowly to the top,

* Add rolled kachoris to hot oil(as much as can fit in) and fry on medium low flame till light brown from both sides.

* Take out an keep on a paper kitchen towel, to drain excess oil.

* Serve hot with Aloo ki Subzi or chutney of your choice.