Moong Dal Kachori is a lip-smacking dish, straight from the land of flavours Rajasthan and also called Rajasthani moong dal kachori or khasta kachori. Rajasthani’s relish moong dal kachori either for breakfast or quick evening snack, also can be made into chaat and served as a side dish with any meal.
INGREDIENTS
FOR STUFFING:
- ¼ cup moong dal
- ½-¾ tsp chilli powder, adjust to your spice level
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¾ tsp fennel seeds, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder / jeera powder
- ½ tsp dry mango powder / amchur powder
- ¼ tsp garam masala
- a pinch of hing
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt to taste
- 4-5 tsp water, or as required
FOR DOUGH:
- 1 cup maida / plain flour / all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp semolina / rava / sooji
- 3 tbsp oil
- salt to taste
- pinch of soda, optional
- water to knead to dough
- oil for deep frying
INSTRUCTIONS
How To Make Kachori Recipe
Preparing kachori dough
1. Take 2 cups all purpose flour (maida) in a bowl or pan.
2. Add ½ teaspoon salt or as per taste.
3. Add ¼ cup ghee.
4. With your fingertips mix the ghee with the flour for a few minutes.
5. You have to mix well, till you get a breadcrumb like texture in the flour. When this mixture is pressed, it should not break.
6. Then add ½ cup water in parts.
7. Mix and then begin to knead.
8. Knead to a smooth dough. Add water as required. If the dough becomes sticky, then add some flour. If the dough looks dry, then add some more water and knead. The dough can be semi-soft to soft. But do not make it too soft.
9. Cover the dough with a moist muslin or kitchen towel. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Making Stuffing For Kachori
10. Rinse ½ cup moong dal in a bowl. Soak moong dal for 2 hours.
11. Later drain all the water very well and add the soaked moong lentils in a grinder jar.
12. Using the pulse option, lightly crush or make a roughly coarse mixture of the moong lentils. Do not grind too much.
13. Then heat a pan. Add ½ tablespoon ghee.
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14. Once the ghee melts, keep the flame to the lowest or switch off the flame. add all the spice powders one by one. First add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon red chilli powder.
15. Then add ½ teaspoon cumin powder.
16. Next add 1 teaspoon coriander powder.
17. Add 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds. You can also use fennel powder.
18. Add ½ teaspoon dry ginger powder (saunth powder). Instead of ginger powder, you can also use ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger. Some chopped green chilies can also be added.
19. Now add 1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder).
20. Keep the flame to its lowest and mix very well.
21. Do make sure that the spices do not burn.
22. Then add the coarsely ground moong dal. Also add salt and 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).
23. On a low flame mix very well.
24. Saute with non stop stirring for 3 to 4 minutes on a low flame. Check the taste and if required you can add more spice powders like red chili powder and mango powder. Let the mixture become warm or cool down.
25. Now make small balls from this moong dal mixture. You can also spread some oil on your palms while making the balls. Cover and keep aside.
Stuffing And Making Moong Dal Kachori
26. After 30 minutes, lightly knead the dough. Then roll the dough into a log.
27. Now cut the dough in equal portions. This will depend on the number of moong dal mixture balls that were made. With this recipe, you will get about 9 to 10 kachoris.
28. Take a portion of the cut dough and flatten it with your fingers. Keep the edges thin while flattening. You can also use a rolling pin (belan) to flatten.
29. Now place the moong dal stuffing ball on the dough. Flatten the moong dal stuffing ball.
30. Bring the edges of the dough together and join them at the center. Excess dough can be pinched off and removed.
31. Press and then flatten the top. Do check the video above to see how the stuffing and shaping is done.
32. Now gently roll the kachori with a rolling pin to get a medium thickness kachori. Stuff and prepare all kachoris this way. Keep them covered under a moist muslin or cotton cloth, so that they do not dry up.
Frying Moong Dal Kachori
33. Heat oil for frying and keep the flame to a low. When the oil is just hot enough, you can add the kachoris. Make sure the oil is not medium hot or very hot. to check the temperature while frying, add a small piece of dough to the oil. If it comes slowly and steadily to the surface, then the kachoris are ready to be fried. if the dough comes quickly, the oil is too hot. So lower the flame. If it does not come on the surface, then the oil is cold. So increase the flame.
34. When the kachoris start puffing up, then gently nudge each kachori with a spoon, so that they puff up well.
35. When the base becomes light golden, then gently turn them over. The frying takes about 7 to 9 minutes. So one has to be patient.
36. Continue to fry on a low to low-medium flame till the kachoris become golden. While frying you can turn them often to get an even color. Regulate the temperature from low to low-medium as required.
37. Fry the kachoris till they become golden and nicely crisp from outside.
38. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain the excess oil back in the kadai. Place khasta kachori on kitchen paper towels so that excess oil is absorbed. Fry all kachori this way.
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