Matar Kachori is a deep fried green peas stuffed savory snack. Matar Kachori is a popular North Indian tea time snack. The green peas are spiced and then stuffed in a flour based dough, shaped into parcels and deep fried. Matar Kachori is vegan and can be modified to suit a Jain diet.
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It may seem strange, but I had never been very fond of kachoris. We probably knew of each other's existence and chose to live separate lives. But Samosa and me, were like best pals. And then BAM! I get married to kachori lover and our lives weren't too separate anymore. When I bought samosas for myself, I bought kachori for him. And slowly, I started enjoying it too. The crispy exterior, the sweet imli ki chutney, the theeki hair chutney, the chopped onions and sometimes, the sev. It made a delicious mouthful, that I couldn't resist.
Then last year, I tried the stuffed kachori and it was just another level. The plain barely held up to it after that. I had a standard Rajasthani shop in the neighbourhood where I bought kachoris before. Sadly, due to the pandemic, they have now closed. And I had to learn to make these at home to fulfill our cravings.
We have been having all sorts of cravings during the lockdown, that previously, weren't there. Are you going through the same thing?
Over the past few months, I have made these Matar Kachoris, 4-5 times and we have loved it at home. It took me some time to learn the art of deep frying kachoris. This is the most important step as it gives you a crispy exterior shell. Well, even if you do mess up here when you try it for the first time, please know that the stuffing is so delish, that you will barely get any complaints.
What is a Kachori?
Kachori is a deep fried savory snack very popular in the Indian subcontinent, it is a slightly flattened disk made of all purpose flour (maida) that is usually stuffed with spiced lentils (dal) or onions. There are different varieties of kachoris available across North India. In some regions, a soft stuffed puri is also called a kachori and served for breakfast along with curry.
Matar Kachori is a crispy deep fried kachori that is stuffed with a spiced green pea mash. Since the stuffing of the kachori is a wet filling, a matar kachori will never be as crispy as a plain kachori.
How to fry a kachori?
The most important step in achieving the perfect kachori is the frying of the kachori. Fear not, I will share the tips and tricks that I learned over the course of several retries.
To fry kachori, take sufficient oil in a kadhai or a deep pot. Don't skimp on the amount of oil being used.
The temperature of the oil is very important. The oil should not be very hot not too cold. If the oil is very hot, the kachoris will puff up immediately, but they will become soft as soon as they are removed from the oil and cool a little. These will still taste very good, but will just not have the crispy shell that you may be expecting. If the oil is too cold, the kachori will absorb a lot of oil, will not puff up and will end up becoming hard rather than crispy. The perfect temperature to fry a kachori is medium to low. When a kachori is dropped in the oil, oil should bubble around it, but it should rise to the surface slowly. Always test the temperature of the oil with a small ball of dough - if it rises too fast, turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool, if it doesn't bubble, wait for a while. If the oil bubbles, but the dough ball doesn't rise to the surface, you are good to fry the kachori. Maintain the temperature of the oil throughout the cooking process.
The kachoris will puff up slowly as they rise to the surface. If they don't all puff up, don't worry, they will still taste amazing. This could be because the dough has gotten a little dry. Keep the dough covered with a moist cloth throughout.
Serve the kachoris warm-hot with sweet tamarind chutney and spicy mint chutney. However, I'd like to add that these kachoris taste delicious on their own too.
If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
Video Recipe
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Matar Kachori Recipe
Matar Kachori is a deep fried green peas stuffed savory snack. Matar Kachori is a popular North Indian tea time snack. Matar Kachori is vegan. Recipe Type: Snacks
Cuisine: North Indian
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Yield: 12
Author: Anupama
Ingredients:
For the dough
2 cups Flour (Maida)
2 Tbsp Semolina (Fine Rava/Sooji)
6 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required
For the stuffing
1 cup boiled Green Peas
1 Tbsp Oil
1 tsp Fennel Seeds (lightly crushed)
0.25 tsp Asafoetida (Hing)
1 tsp Ginger Green Chilli Paste
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
0.5 tsp Chaat Masala
0.5 tsp Amchur
0.25 tsp Turmeric Powder
0.5 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Others
Oil to fry
Method:
1. To make the dough, take the flour in a large bowl and add in the semolina, salt and oil.
2. Mix in the oil until the flour has a sandy texture.
3. Add water little by little and knead into a smooth dough.
4. When the dough is smooth and soft, cover it with a moist cloth and allow it to rest for 30 mins to 1 hour.
5. While the dough rests, make the stuffing. To make the stuffing, coarsely mash the boiled green peas.
6. Heat oil in a pan and add in the crushed fennel seeds.
7. Add the asafoetida and the ginger-green chilli paste and saute until fragrant. For a Jain version, just add chilli paste.
8. Add in the mashed green peas and all the spice powders and salt and mix well. Keep aside until cooled.
9. After 1 hour, divide the rested dough into 10 or 12 equal pieces.
10. Flatten a dough ball with either your fingers or with a rolling pin to a small disk.
11. Spoon in the stuffing. Do not overstuff.
12. Seal the kachori and place it on a floured surface with the seam side up.
13. Roll out the kachori with either a rolling pin or the heel of your hand.
14. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadhai.
15. The oil should neither be too hot nor too cold. When you drop the kachori in, it should bubble but should slowly rise to the top. Refer to notes above for frying.
16. The kachori will puff as it rises to the top.
17. Fry until the kachoris are browned on both sides.
18. Serve the kachoris hot with sweet tamarind chutney and spicy mint chutney.
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I remember having the best kachoris at a roadside snack shop in Indian, could never find a restaurant in the US like that. Maybe this recipe is better!!
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