Moong Dal Kachori

Festival, food and fun! Yes we had our biggest festival of the year, Diwali and our new year!
Sweets, savory and all yummy treats are still on my countertop. I was so busy with cooking and other chores that I didn't get the chance to write anything for the last three weeks so today I am overwhelmed with words lol where do I start?!

I love Diwali and New Year. I still remember from childhood that I loved to do Rangoli. Rangoli is an art you can do with all different materials. but traditionally it is done with colors. I found fine colorful sand from Michaels.  Also, I have made rangoli with lentils. I love it because when I do it I feel and get so much energy within me as well as divine and spiritual feelings around you!

I have made so many sweets delicacies and savory food. Today I am going to share this tempting traditional Indian recipe with you all.

Kachori is a spicy snack . Kachori is a round ball made of fine flour filled with yellow moong dal, green peas, pigeon peas, Khoya, urad daal or any kind of stuffing. It can be fried or baked. Its a tempting snack with spiciness . So many variations can be found in kachori.
I have made yellow moong daal kachori and green peas kachori. Today I am going to share the yellow moong dal kachori recipe.

Ingredients (makes 50):

Stuffing:

3 cups yellow moong dal
1 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds (saunf/variali)
2 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon ginger paste
1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon green chili paste
1 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon mango powder (amchur powder)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup  golden resins and chopped cashew nuts
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida ( hing)
Oil

Outer crust :

3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup clarified butter (ghee) room temperature
2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
chilled water




Procedure:

1. Wash yellow moong dal with water and soak in water for at least 3-4 hours. Make sure water should be 1 1/2 times more than the quantity of dal, so that the dal can soak in the water properly. You can add more if required.
2. After 4 hours, you can see dal is properly soaked and double in size. Drain water and add new water with 2 teaspoon of salt in dal and let it boil at medium heat.
3. Once dal is fully cooked in salty water, drain the excess water and let it cool down.
4. In another bowl mix all purpose flour, salt, cornstarch and whisk. 
5. Add ghee (clarified butter) and mix the flour until it becomes lump free.
6. Knead dough with chilled  water. Dough should be semi soft. Knead dough for 10 minutes and then cover it with cloth and set aside.
7. Drain the soaked moong dal. Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida.
8. When the seeds crackle, add the drained moong dal and sauté for a few seconds.
9. Add the ginger-green chilli paste, chilli powder, fennel seeds powder, garam masala, amchur powder, sugar, lemon juice and salt and stir for 5 to 7 minutes till the masalas are cooked.
10. Add sesame seed, chopped cilantro, cashew nuts  and raisins. Mix well and let it cool.
11. Grind filling mixture in to food processor for 30 seconds to get coarse consistency so it can be easily form the ball shape. 
12. Divide mixture into 60 equal portions. Shape each portion into an even sized round ball and keep aside. Depends on which size of kachori you want to make.
13. Roll out each portion of the dough into a  2' diameter circle.
14. Place one portion of the filling mixture in the centre of the rolled dough circle.
15. Surround the filling mixture with the dough by slowly stretching it over the filling mixture.
16. Seal the ends tightly and remove any excess dough.
17. Make sure filling should not come out from outer layer.
18. Make rest of the kachoris with the remaining dough and filling.
19. Deep fry the kachoris in hot oil over a slow flame till golden brown .
20. Let them cool at room temperature and store in airtight container.
21. Serve with sweet and spicy, green chutney.

Rangoli