Kachori / कचौड़ी (Stuffed and fried Indian Bread)

Kachori

In Uttar Pradesh, India, when winter is approaching in the morning market is full of aroma of Kachories and Jalebies because that is the one thing most people come to the market braving the chill of winters,as hot Kachori and hot Jalebi make a perfect combination for brunch. High on calories, but then once in a while indulging is not bad. So do I, and do penance later on by eating low calorie food for few days. Make now and I assure you, you and your family will get hooked to it !


Preparation time: 20 min.
Cooking time: 30min.
Servings: Total kachori made from above material 8 - 10.

Ingredients required for outer cover of Kachori:

• 250 gm .Maida(refined wheat flour).

Maida(Refined flour)

• 50 gm. Clarified butter ( Ghee) 

Ghee(Clarified butter)

• 1/2Tea spoon Salt 
• Water. 

Ingredients Required For Filling:

• 150 gm . Urad dal.
• 1 Tea spoon Garam masala.
• 1 Tea spoon Amchur (dry raw mango powder).
• 1 Tea spoon Red chilly powder.
• 1 Tea spoon finely cut green chillies/or red chillies broken to pieces
• 1 Tea spoon grated Ginger
• 1 Tea spoon Saunf 
• 1/2 Tea spoon Turmeric powder.
• Salt to taste.
• 1 Tea spoon Sugar powder.
• 1 Tea spoon Cumin seeds.
• 1/4 Tea spoon Asafoetida(Hing) powder.

• Cooking oil for frying.

   Direction to Make Kachori Dough:

• Take maida in a bowl and add salt and ghee to it and mix till it resembles bread crumb.

Maida after mixing Ghee

• Add water in small proportions and knead.
• Knead till the dough is soft but firm.
• Cover and keep the dough aside

Dough for Kachori

Direction To Make Kachori Filling:

•  Soak the dal for 4-5 hrs.
• Drain water from dal and grind it coarsely.

Soaked Coarsely ground Urd dal

• Keep a wok on gas and put 15 - 20 ml. of oil in it and heat 
• Add cumin seed and saunf (Anni seeds) when hot and let them split.
• Add green chilies/red chilli, ginger, saunf,asafoetida and cook for 1min.

Cumin seeds, saunf, red chilli, hing in oil

• Add the coarsely ground dal, salt , turmeric powder, red chilli powder, amchur and mix thoroughly.

Dal, red chilli powder, salt, haldi amchur added 

After mixing

• Cover and cook for 2 min. 

Being cooked after mixing.

• Remove the lid and scrap the mixture which is stuck to the bottom of the wok and mix nicely, add sugar and mix.

Sugar added and mixed

• Cook for 2-3 min. more with regular mix.
• Remove from gas.
• Cover and let it cool.

Filling ready

Direction To Make Kachori:

• Make small balls of the dough ( 8 - 10 will be made from 250 gm. maida.)

Ball of flour for Kachori

• Press them flat by pressing them on your palm and make it of cup shape.

Ball of flour made to the shape of cup to fill the filling

•  Fill them with the filling.

Filling in the flour

• Press the edges so that the filled ball is sealed properly.

Closing the ball after filling

closed ball with filling

• Press it gently to flatten it up to 5 cm. diameter round.

Filled ball flattened to make Kachori

• Heat oil in a wok and when the oil becomes smoking hot

Kachori being fried

• Bring the flame to low and fry the filled Kachori one by one with occasional turning till golden brown on both sides.

Fried Kachori ready to be taken out

• Hot delicious Kachoris are ready to be enjoyed with  sweet tamarind chutney

  http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/sweet-tamarind-chutney.html

  green chutney
  

  http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html

  and thick curd.

Kachori ready to be served

Tips:

• The filling and dough can be prepared and kept in fridge for 7-10 days.
• Do not grind dal to fine paste.
• Frying should always be done on low flame to get best result.

Suggested Variations:

•  Finely cut coriander leaves can be added to the filling mixture.
• Raisins, cashew nut can be added to the filling mixture.
• Moong dal can be taken instead of urd dal.
• 10-20 gm. Suji can be added to the maida before kneading.