Kachori

Ingredients for the pastry-Makes about 14 medium kachoris. Method -

Take a large mixing

Plain flour[maida]-11/2 cups bowl and put in the flours,semolina

semolina[sooji]-2tbsp and salt.Mix the salt in and add water, little

whole wheat flour-1/4 cup at a time and knead the mixture to a firm

oil/ghee-1tbsp dough, and smear the ghee/oil over the dough.

salt to taste Wrap it in cling film and keep aside.

water to knead the dough.

Ingredients for the filling-

Mung dhal-1cup[soaked in hot water for 2hrs and drained completely.

crushed mixture of spices- 1tsp jeera [whole cumin] ,2tsp whole dhaniya [corriander seeds],1tsp of saunf [fennel seeds], crushed red chilli-2tsp,a pinch of hing [asafoetida].

1tbsp- grated dessicated coconut

2-finely chopped green chillies

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4tsp aamchur powder [dry mango powder]

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

salt to taste.

1tbsp oil

and oil to deep fry the kachoris.

Method to make the filling--Heat oil in a pan and when warm, add the mustard seeds. After they splutter, add the chopped green chillies and then add the completely drained mung dhal.

Keep sauteing it until the mixture is dry.

Add the spice mix, salt to taste,garam masala,aamchur, sugar and dessicated coconut.

Mix well and keep aside to cool.

Procedure-Heat oil in a large pan to deep fry the kachoris when they are ready.

Now take the dough out of the cling film, roll it into a long tail and using a knife,cut it into equal sized bits approximately the size of a small lemon.

Take one bit and roll it into a nice round ball using both your hands.

Now, flatten the dough on your palm and put in a spoonful of the filling.

Bind the ends of the pastry by folding one corner to another and making sure that the filling gets entirely covered by the dough.

Now gently flatten the ball like a poori using your fingers , still making sure that the filling does not come out.Keep aside on a foil.

Repeat the procedure for all the bits, fill in the mixture, flatten and now deep fry the kachoris till they turn golden brown in hot oil.

Dont turn the kachoris immediately after you put them in oil, or they make break, so let them get firm and then turn over.

Serve them hot with imli and green chutney, or a sweet mango pickle.