Recipe: Khasta Dal Kachori

KHASTA DAL KACHORI

3/4 cup skinless dried black beans (urad)
4 cups flour (atta)
1 green chili chopped
1/2 tsp salt
oil for deep frying
1 tbsp anise seeds (saunf)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp white cumin seeds
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder

Soak the beans in water overnight then rinse and drain.

Sift the flour and gradually add enough water to make soft dough. Cover the dough with damp cloth and leave for 30 minutes.

Grind the drained beans with the chili powder, salt and spices to make stuffing. Mix well and divide it into 16 equal portions.

Divide the dough into 16, using wet hands, and smear each portion with a little oil. Flatten and roll out into 2-inch rounds.

Wrap one portion of stuffing in each round and roll into a smooth ball, using greased hands. Flatten and roll into a 3-4 inch round.

Heat plenty of oil in a deep frying pan or a kadhai.

Now lift the rolled kachori and carefully slip it into the hot oil.

Immediately start flickering hot oil over the top of it with a spatula so that it will swell up like a ball.

This should take only a few seconds. Flip the kachori over and cook the other side until golden brown.

Serve the dal kachori hot with chutney.