Khasta Kachori

Wash and clean Urad dal and soak it for about an hour or more.After the desired time, drain the dal and wash it again.

Transfer soaked dal to a pan and cover the dal with water. Add salt and turmeric and bring it to a boil.

During the boiling process, a frothy layer will rise to the top...Discard it.

Keep boiling till the grains are soft and tender.

To check if the grains are cooked - spoon out some grains and rub in between your fingertip. It should mash up easily. If it doesn't then boil the dal for another 5-7 minutes.

By this time all the water must have dried up. But to be on the safe side, strain the dal through a strainer and allow it to sit till all the water as drained out.

Assemble all the spices to prepare the tempering/tadka for the cooked dal.In a pan add hing, mustard seeds and fennesl seeds.

As they start to sputter, add in dal along with all the dry spices.Mix till all the spices are well blended.

Add besan to this mixture and saute till besan is fully cooked. Dal mixture will look all crumbly.A closer look at cooked masala.

Before stuffing the kachoris allow the mixture to cool down completely.

Dough preparation

In the meantime let's prepare the dough. Assemble all the ingredients. Vegan butter can be substituted with oil. Oil works better than butter.

Blend flour, salt, baking soda, oil/vegan butter and carom seeds together until crumbly then slowly add in water.

Work on kneading a soft pliable dough.

Let the dough rest for 10 -15 minutes.

After the desired time, knead the dough for another 2-3 minutes. Dough elasticity and gluten formation is enhanced by kneading. This will also prevent the bubbles to form on cooked kachoris. The dough is ready, let's start assembling the kachoris.

Assembling kachori

Heat oil in a kadai/pan. Take a golf ball size dough ball.Flatten the dough using a rolling pin.

Like a small disc shaped circle.Place two teaspoon mixture on the flattened dough.

Bring the two ends together, fold and pinch them together.

Bring the top end together and join it with the two folded parts. Pinch all the ends in the center.

Seal and secure all the ends and it will take a shape of a ball. Remove the extra dough and shape it like a round ball to get round kachoris. Round shaped kachoris will become fluffy during frying resulting in evenly browned round kachoris. (as shown in the pics above)

If you prefer the kachoris like the market ones then flatten the kachori by gently pressing it down either with your palm or with a rolling pin.

Flattened khasta kachori is ready. With your hands, give it a round shape.

Drop it in the hot oil. Kachoris should sink to the bottom of the kadahi first and then float right back up. Oil should not be too hot. For khasta kachoris fry them longer in oil. Keep pressing and turning them around like a puri and the kachoris will start to puff.

Cook it on a low flame for khasta kachoris. For me, some came out flat but the rest kachoris puffed up beautifully.

Flip and cook until the kachori is evenly cooked and golden brown from both sides.

Place it on a kitchen towel to drain excess oil. Flat kachoris will look like this.

Repeat the process with rest of the kachoris.

This recipe makes 15 small kachoris and 8 large (flat) kachoris.Enjoy these warm and khasta dal ki kachori with green chutney and tamarind chutney!!

You can also prepare Kachori chaat with hot kachoris. Simply top your kachoris with beaten curd, coriander chutney and Imli ki chutney (tamarind chutney) and enjoy!