Shared by Elli Benaiah
Shared by Elli Benaiah
Kachori (Spiced Pea Dumpling)
Yield: 18 to 20 dumplingsTime: 1 h
Kachori (Spiced Pea Dumpling)
Yield: 18 to 20 dumplingsTime: 1 hFamily Journey
Kolkata, IndiaLondonRamat Gan, Israel
TorontoRa’anana, IsraelBasel, Switzerland
This recipe was shared by Elli Benaiah. Read more about his family in "How One Cook in Switzerland Is Preserving the Flavors of India’s Baghdadi Jews" and try his recipes for halba (fenugreek relish) and Indian-Baghdadi shabbat salad with chicken, potatoes, and egg.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon asafetida
- 2 cups fresh green peas or frozen peas, defrosted
- 1 large jalapeño, finely chopped
- 1 medium piece ginger (about 2 tablespoons), finely chopped or grated
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- Juice of ½ lemon
For the dough
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or ghee
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons semolina
- ⅓ to ½ cup water to bind the dough
- 6 cups vegetable oil for frying
Preparation
Step 1
Make the dough: Place the flour, salt, oil or ghee, lemon juice, and semolina into a large bowl. Gradually add ⅓ cup of water stirring the mixture together with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead the dough until it is smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes. If the dough feels dry, continue adding water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is semi-stiff and not too sticky. Cover with a towel and set aside.
Step 2
Make the filling: Place the olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the asafoetida and once it sizzles, about 2-4 minutes, add the peas. Add 4 tablespoons of water to the peas, cover and let cook for 5-6 minutes until the peas are tender and the water has evaporated. Add the jalapeño, ginger, garam masala, fennel seeds, salt, sugar, and lemon juice and stir. Cook the mixture until the jalapenos have softened and the mixture is evenly coated with the seasonings, approximately 10-15 minutes. Coarsely mash the mixture off the heat with a potato masher and set it aside to cool, about 15 minutes.
Step 3
Place 6 cups of vegetable oil into a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Heat the oil until a thermometer inserted into the oil reads 350 degrees for when the oil gently simmers.
Step 4
Make the dumplings: Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a very thin circle, about 1/16 inch in thickness. Cut out 2 ¼ inch circles from the dough, using a cookie cutter or the edge of a glass cup. Take a circle of dough and roll it out to about 4 inches in diameter. Place 1 tablespoon of the cooled filling into the center of the dough. Using your fingers, bring up the edges of the dough towards the center, over the filling and form a little basket shape by crimping the edges together to seal the dumpling. Continue with the remaining dough and filling.
Step 5
Fry the dumplings: Using a slotted spoon, gently place about 4 or 5 dumplings into the oil once it is hot. Fry the dumplings for about 5 minutes until they are golden brown, flipping them occasionally in the oil. Transfer the cooked dumplings onto a towel lined plate and continue frying the rest of the kachoris.
Step 6
Serve hot with a side of mint raita (yogurt with mint).
