This is a story of the origins and journey of the kachoris along the trade routes of India.  The sights and sounds of India’s colorful bazaars from Mumbai to Old Delhi and Rajasthan are filled with fragrant snacks served in newspaper cones or dona bowls, halwai’s in a white tank top style undershirts frying the round spicy kachoris and other snacks.  Business is usually conducted around food, whether you are buying sari’s or jewelry, a plate of good street food is where deals are made and sealed.  

Trade routes since ancient times passed through the Marwar region of Rajasthan, and it is generations of Marwaris businessmen known for trading and traveling who shared their love of food with the locals and around the world.

This kachori is also a reminder of my childhood. The piece de resistance in any Gujarati thali was the kachori- whether lilva kachori,  matar kachori, mix veg kachori, aloo kachori, or king-sized raj kachori, two were never quite enough, three was just gluttony, and especially so if there was a jalebi on the same plate. Did you know there is even a Pakistani chicken kachori!

I am writing this from the kitchen island, next to me is a handwritten recipe from my Mum- no exact measurements on this one, together we have made this so many times, she did not need to write her measured amounts. However, I am trying to measure out how many cups I use so that I can pen this down correctly while trying to retrieve from memory her tips.  

The outer layer is not doughy she would say, “it should be flaky, the dough should soft, and glide like silk over the ball of lentil, the edges pinched just so that there is an invisible seam no extras or “ghants”/ knots on the bottom of the “potli”it will never get fried and will always be raw, oh and also make sure you mash up the lentils a bit so that they don’t fall over the plate and on yourself when you bite into it, and don’t  fry it like brown like a samosa, it should be a “Badami” color and no bubbles, give it time to cook low and slow”. 

No matter how old I was and how many times I made this – she would always make sure to give me reminders. 

Here’s to old-school recipes that deserve a comeback.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups moong daal (yellow, skinless)
• 2 tbsp. any olive cooking oil
• ¼ tsp asafetida (leave out for GF)
• ¼ tsp. whole mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. white sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dhana-jeeru (coriander cumin powder- optional)
• ½ cup or 1 medium onion, very finely chopped ( Mum did not use it)
• Taj laving no masalo (1/2 tsp ground cinnamon +1/2 tsp ground cloves)
• 4 tbsp. cilantro finely chopped
• 1/2 p lemon -juiced
• oil for deep frying
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (Substitute King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour 1-1)
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. yoghurt
• ½ cup warm water ( may not need it all)
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• ¼ tsp salt

To prepare the pastry:

1. Mix the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the oil and yoghurt and rub the mixture between your fingertips until its consistency is similar to dry oatmeal or you should be able to make muthiya. Make a well in the center, pour in lemon juice and ½ cup of warm water a little at a time, gather the mixture into a ball. It may be necessary to add more water so add a teaspoon at a time, to allow the dough to adhere into a mass and reach a soft, smooth texture.
2. Knead the dough for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the dough is soft, smooth, pliable, and elastic. Shape into a ball, place in a bowl, cover with some oil,  and drape with a moist towel over the bowl, and rest the dough for at least 20 minutes while preparing the stuffing.
   
   

Prepare the stuffing:

1. Wash and soak the moong daal in room temp water for 1-2 hrs.
2. Heat oil in a wok or wide pan and add asafetida and mustard seeds
3. *Add finely chopped onions if using at this point and sauté for a few minutes until they soften but not brown or you can add them raw at the end
4. Drain the soaked dal and add to the wok, along with salt and turmeric powder, add about ½ cup water and cook partially covered until the dal is cooked just beyond al dente.
5. Add ground clove and ground cinnamon, sugar, red chili powder and lemon juice and cook until the mixture is completely dry.
6. Add cilantro (and raw onions if you did not cook them in step 1)
7. Adjust seasoning and let the filling cool.
8. Using a cookie scoop, measure out the filling and make balls ( I used a 1.5 tbsps. scoop) and it makes about 18-20 balls.

Stuff and fry the kachoris:

1. Knead the dough again and cut the dough into two equal pieces, then roll each piece into 9-inch-long logs, cut each log into nine 1-inch pieces. Keep pellets covered with a moist cloth.
2. Take one piece of dough and press it out with a pastry roller or rolling pin to flatten it into a 2 ½-inch disk.
3. Place a ball of the filling in the center of the dough and pull the dough around the filling to close it. Pinch the edges together until thoroughly sealed, sniping off any excess dough making sure to pinch the seams closed; roll between your palms to even out any lines.
4. Place the pastry, seam-side down, on a platter. Finish shaping and stuffing the remaining pastries.
5. Heat the oil over a medium to medium-low flame and fry the pastries for about 8-10 minutes. Turn them over gently and remove using a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel line baking sheet.
   
   

Serve with amli ni chutney (Tamarind Chutney), spicy green chutney, and the customary masala cha.