These Khasta kachori are flaky and crispy, with a tasty and aromatic spicy moong dal filling. These are perfect for whether you want to eat Indian street food or when you want to treat your family and friends to a tasty snack. This simple recipe will help you make the best Khasta Kachori that everyone will enjoy. At Zaikawale, we always aim making recipes that are easy for everyone, whether they’re new to cooking or already doing it for a long time.
The preparation of the delicious stuffing, the shape of the kachoris, the flawless frying of them, and the creation of the flaky crust that will definitely puff up are all covered in this blog post. You can also bake or air fried them for a healthier choice.
About Khasta Kachori
Kachori is a round, flaky fried pastry with a spicy or sweet filling. The dough makes up using maida, that is a form of all-purpose flour. The filling can be made with different things, such as spicy lentils, potatoes, onions, or sweetened milk solids or mawa for a sweet variation. Khasta means flaky, and this recipe makes Khasta Kachori that stays flaky and crisp for days. These kachoris are popular in Mathura Vrindavan. You can eat these with aloo ka jhol and fried green chilies.
Kachori is a popular street food in India, just as Dhokla and Samosa. People believe they came from the Marwari community in Rajasthan and were prepared as a dry snack to eat on long road travels. A lot of coriander and fennel seeds are used to chill down and help digestion.
But there are many different varieties of this dish created in North Indian states and Gujarat, each with its own spices and fillings. One of the most popular types is moong dal kachori, which is commonly served with sweet tamarind chutney, green chutney, and fried chilies.
Ingredients For Khasta Kachori
- Flour: I use organic unbleached all-purpose flour to make kachoris that are 100% crunchy, flaky, and light. The next best thing is a blend of whole wheat flour (atta) and all-purpose flour. I have also had amazing results with 100% atta, but the kachoris aren’t as good the next day So if you make ata kachoris pls make for the same day. Read the expert tips section below if you really want to use atta.
- Ghee: Before making the dough, a lot of ghee is mixed into the flour. This makes the coating or pastry crunchy and flaky. Ghee not only makes the kachori taste fantastic, but it also keeps the oil used to deep fry from getting into the pastry. You can use oil instead of plants for a plant-based variation. The pastry will still be crisp, but it won’t be as flaky.
- Dal/ lentils: You can use split chilka mung dal or even urad dal instead of yellow split moong dal.
- Spices: Coriander and fennel seeds are the main spices used in larger amounts. Other spices, including as cumin seeds, black pepper, and garam masala, are used in little amounts to add flavor. I haven’t used fresh spices like ginger or green chilies; instead, I’ve used dried ones. For a tangy flavor, use chaat masala or amchur.
- Besan/gram flour: I use a little bit of besan in my recipe to add flavor and to hold the stuffing together, which makes it simpler to shape the kachoris. You don’t have to grind the soaked lentils if you use besan. Sattu is the greatest thing to use instead of besan. But if you can’t eat besan or sattu, just add more lentils till you have 1/3 cup. Put the soaked lentils in a grinder and pulse them until they become a rough paste.
How to make Khasta Kachori
This recipe makes eight medium-sized kachoris. You can make 6 big ones if you wish. You can double or triple the recipe’s ingredients to make a big batch.
- add 50 grams (¼ cup) of moong dal in a medium bowl and wash them well three times. Put in 1.5 cups of water and let sit for 3 to 4 hours.
- Prepare the spice mix while the lentils are soaking. Put the following spices in a medium-sized spice grinder jar:
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon fennel seeds/ saunf (use lower qty if you don’t prefer)
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- ¼ teaspoon whole pepper corn (may omit for low heat)
- ¾ teaspoon jeera/ cumin seeds
- dried red chilies (remove the seeds for less heat) or one green chili sliced up and added to the pan while the spices are frying.
- Pluse to a slightly coarse powder.
Make the stuffing
- After soaking your dal, pour it into a strainer and make the stuffing.
- Put 1½ teaspoons of oil in a pan and
add the coarse ground spices. Saute them over medium heat for two minutes, or until they smell good.
- Add 3 tablespoons besan (25 grams).
- For around 6 to 7 minutes, cook until the smell is quite strong.
The masala and besan start to break down into little lumps and release oil. Do not burn. At this point, turn down the heat and add
- 1/8 teaspoon of hing or asafoetida
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (you can change this to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon of sea salt
- Add the soaked and drained dal right away.
- Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the dal is a little softer and the moisture has dried up. Mix in
- ½ teaspoon of dry ginger powder or saunth
- ¾ teaspoon chaat masala (or ½ teaspoon amchur or dry mango powder and ⅛ teaspoon
- black salt; taste and adjust)
- 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala
- ¾ teaspoon of sugar or jaggery
- 1 teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi
- Turn off the heat and sauté for two more minutes. Try it out to see if you need to add more salt or other spices. Don’t add extra garam masala since you want the taste of fennel and coriander to come through.
- Cool down slightly and divide to 9 parts. (One full tablespoon for each serving.) Make them into balls that are not too tight. Don’t roll them too hard since you want the balls to open up as you shape and roll the kachoris. (You will have one extra ball that you may use to taste test or give to the kids.) Keep them safe.
Make the dough
- To a bowl, add
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour (150 grams) or ½ cup all-purpose flour + ¾ wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds /ajwain – crush them slightly in a mortar pestle
- 2½ tablespoons melted ghee (38 ml, 27g)
- For 2 to 3 minutes, use your fingers to mix the ghee into the flour until it looks like bread crumbs. Take a handful of flour and press down hard with your fingers to see if the dough has enough moyan or fats.
- It should hold shape like seen in the picture below.
- Add ¼ cup (60 ml) of water and start to make a dough that isn’t sticky and is a little bit tight. My dough is still a little crumbly with this much water, so I add another tablespoon. You can dip your fingertips in water while you mix if the dough is still dry.
- Don’t knead. your dough will be hard and tight, but not crumbly or dried. Put a lid on it and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Only knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes, until it is smooth , before you shape the kachori.
- While you’re doing it, set aside a small amount of dough for later and form eight equal parts. Make smooth balls by rolling them between your hands. One side will be smooth and the other will be a little rough. Keep them covered until the conclusion.
- Take a ball of dough and roll it between your fingers. Rub the dough with your fingers from the middle (on the rough side) to make a little cup or a disc that is about 3 inches across.
- Place the stuffing for the kachori in the middle. Push the stuffing inside to raise the sides.
- Put all the sides on top and smear water on them.
- Press down to seal and join.
- Make sure the edges are a little wet so they stick together.
- Roll it into a ball with a between your hands.
- If the dough or joint looks too dry, immerse your finger in water and press down hard on the joint. (Do not make it too wet.) This is very crucial. Finish filling all the kachori balls and put them away, covering them with a cloth or lid. We don’t want them to get too dry.
- Put 2 cups of oil in a medium-sized deep fry pan or kadai and begin to fry it on a low flame. The oil should be warm, but not too hot.
It takes my oil 8 to 10 minutes to heat up on very low heat. In the meantime, I mold the kachoris. If you cook slowly, you can shape a batch of kachoris and then heat the oil. - Shaping using your fingers: Use your fingers to gently flatten a ball of dough and spread the filling evenly over it. Then shape it into a little puri or kachori that is 3 inches wide. (Stay away from doing that on the edges)
Using a rolling pin: Put a ball of dough on a rolling board, oil it, and roll it with light hands until it is 3 inches wide. Don’t roll a lot on the edges. - Your kachori should be sealed well and molded evenly. Put them on a tray that has been oiled and cover them with a lid or parchment paper. Before you start frying, shape four or five at a time.
Frying Khasta Kachori
- A little, flat piece of dough dropped into oil will reveal its depth. It should sink and stay at the bottom. You should only see a few little bubbles, and it shouldn’t be too hot. Put in the kachoris one at a time. I only did five here. Use additional oil, a bigger kadai, and fry more kachoris at once if you’re creating a bigger batch.
- For the first four to five minutes, they will all sink and settle at the bottom. Then they will start to float to the top. They will float all the way and start to puff up after ten minutes.
- After 10 to 12 minutes, they will become hard. Turn the flame up to medium heat. Use a spider to turn them around to suit your needs.
- Stir them every few minutes until they are all brown and crunchy.
- It takes me another 8 minutes, but this may change a little based on how many kachoris you are frying, the type of burner and cookware you are using, and how hot the stove is. The kachoris can take anywhere from 17 to 20 minutes to fry all the way through.
- Take it off the heat and put it on a cooling rack or in a steel colander. Let the temperature drop before frying the next batch of kachoris. You can switch off the stove and shape the rest. Turn them back on and fried them in oil that is a little heated.
- Lastly, to fry the chilies, dry off 4 to 8 washed green chilies and puncture deep holes in them with a knife or remove the seeds. Put them in a spider and fried them in heated oil for 15 to 20 seconds at a time, or until they blister..
- Eat kachori hot with fried chiles, tamarind, and green chutney.
Handshaped kachoris puff better than rolled ones
If you want to prepare these with wheat flour, sift the flour two or three times and throw away any extra bran. When you store them, too much bran makes them softer. To make the dough, you will need extra liquid, but it should still be stiff. The optimum time to consume kachori made with wheat flour is the same day, but they taste good again when you heat them up in an air fryer.
Set the air fryer or oven to 350 F or 180 C and let it heat up for 5 minutes. Put the kachoris in the basket or on some parchment paper for the air fryer. Depending on how thick and big they are, air fry them for 13 to 14 minutes. Don’t make them too thick or too thin. I manufacture the same size as the ones in the photographs above.
When you air fry the kachoris at the greatest heat, 400F, they taste best, however I don’t like to do it. Also, don’t let them rest, or they won’t puff up at all.
The filling tastes great with dried red chiles in it. You can also use green chilies if you prefer. After cooking the crushed spices, just add them to the oil.
You can use fresh grated ginger instead of dry ground ginger. Put it in with the wet dal.
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