Savory Pea Beignets (Kachori): Kachori is a snack popular in various parts of India like Uttar Pradesh , Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Punjab.
Kachori is usually a Savory beignet-like round flattened ball made of fine flour filled with different kinds of stuffing.Ingredients for the covering:
- 2 cups of all purpose flour(maida)
- 1/2 cup of oil
- salt
- water to knead the dough
Ingredients for stuffing:
- 2 cups of frozen green peas (thawed)
- 2-3 green chillies
- inch of Ginger
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- pinch of asafoetida
- salt
- Oil to fry
Preparation:
- Heat 1/2 cup of oil.
- Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Once the oil is hot pour it over the flour. Mix it well. Add water and knead the dough till its soft and smooth. Cover it with a damp cloth and keep aside for 1/2 hour.
- Grind the peas, ginger, garlic and green chillies in a grinder/mixer.
- In a pan heat 1 tbsp of oil. Once the oil heats up put in the mustard seeds. Let them sputter. Put asafoetida and turmeric powder.
- Add the mixture of peas, ginger, garlic and chillies to it. Add salt and mix all the ingredients.
- Stir the mixture occasionally till it becomes dry. Alternatively you could put the mixture in a microwave bowl and keep it in the microwave for 2 to 3 min until it gets dry.
- Once the mixture is dried let it cool.
- Make small rounds of the dough.
- Take a round and roll it into a small round circle.
- Take the flat circle of dough on your palm and fill in a tsp of the mixture. Do not over stuff it otherwise the kachori will break while frying. Slowly enclose the flat circle in to a round by pinching the endings. Seal it, then gently roll the ball into a round circle. Set it aside under a damp cloth.
- Repeat the process till all the Kachoris are made.
- Heat a flat pan. Keep the rolled kachoris on it till they get slightly golden brown on each side.
- Heat oil in the pan. Fry the kachoris till they are golden brown.
- Serve them hot with Ketchup.
- Once the kachoris are slightly browned on the pan you can store like that in a container for a week. You can fry them as and when needed.
**** You can also make the Kachoris with wheat flour.
