Kachori is a spicy snack item mainly popular in parts of India and Pakistan. It consists of a shell made with flour and fillings of different kinds. Kachori recipes are mostly used for breakfast. They are also known as Kachauri, kachodi and katchuri in India. This snack item is perfect for picnics and long drives.
Kachori is said to have originated in India and it is popular in many states of India such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Punjab. The dish is also savoured in parts of Pakistan.
Kachori Recipe Overview
A kachori is basically a round flat pastry crust with different fillings. Plain flour is used along with oil and salt to knead dough. The filling comprises washed and soaked yellow moong dal combined with different spices such as red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, asafetida and coriander.
The dough is made and kept aside for some time. Oil is heated in a pan and all the filling ingredients are cooked till the batter becomes golden brown in color. With the help of rolling board, small round shapes are made with the dough. The filling is put in the center and the dough is gathered as a pouch. The pastry with filling is deep fried and delicious kachauris are made.
Variations in Kachori Recipe
There are many variations of Kachori in different states of India. In Uttar Pradesh, the kachoris are filled with yellow moong dal or urad dal (horse beans) whereas in Gujarat a little sugar is added in the filling to give the kachoris a sweet and spicy flavor. Coconut is also added to enrich the flavors of this spicy dish. Dry fruits like pine nuts, cashew nuts and raisins are added at some places. In Delhi, kachori is served as street food in the evenings with a whole lot of sweet curd, crisps, onion rings and tamarind chutney.
Popular Kachori Recipes
· Mawa Kachori- It usually has a filling of sweet cream and sugar syrup. Available in all sweet shops, this is a delicacy of Rajasthan in India.
· Khasta Kachori- These kachoris are also popular as raj kachoris. This dishis a specialty of Delhi and is one of the popular street foods of India. The filling is made of onions, mashed potatoes, and moong dal. It is garnished with onions and tamarind chutney.
· Lilva kachori – These are popular kachoris of Gujarat. The small round golden balls are filled with Tuvar and these kachoris are perfect evening snack item.
· Onion kachauris- As the name suggests, the filling of this snack item consist of spiced onions together with flour.
Serving Kachoris
Kachori is usually served with coriander or tamarind chutney. A popular mashed potato vegetable also known as alloo ki sabji pairs well with this delicious treat. The mashed potatoes with flavors of tomato, onions and various spices is filled in the kachoris and relished.