Ingredients:

• For the dough: 2 cups – all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp – salt
• 1/4 cup – ghee/oil
• For the filling: 1/2 cup – moong dal
• 1/4 tsp – Hing
• 1/4 tsp – Cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp – Fennel seeds
• 1 tsp – grated Ginger
• 1 tbsp – dry Mango powder
• 1 tsp – Garam Masala
• 1 tsp – dry coriander powder
• 1 tsp – chilli powder
• 2 tbsp – ghee/oil
• a handful of Raisins
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp – Bengal Gram flour (optional)
• ghee/oil for deep-frying

Method:

1. For the dough: In a big bowl, add flour, oil and salt.
2. Mix the ingredients nicely. Rub the oil into the flour with your fingers. Make sure the flour looks like bread crumbs.
3. Knead well to form a firm dough. Add very little lukewarm water and knead for about 8 minutes.
4. Cover the dough with a wet muslin cloth and keep aside for at least half an hour.
5. For the filling: Wash the dal and soak in water for at least an hour and a maximum of 4 hours. Drain and coarsely grind form a paste.
6. Heat oil in a kadai or pan and add hing and cumin seeds.
7. When the seeds splutter, add the ginger and dal.
8. Stir on low heat for about 7 minutes.
9. Cook for another 10 minutes so that the dal turns golden brown.
10. Keep stirring and add all the masalas, raisins and salt.
11. When you get a nice aroma, the consider the filling as ready.
12. Remove from the flame and keep aside.
13. For the kachori: Make small balls from the dough. Take a rolling pin and roll out the balls into 2- inch diameter circles, keeping the centre thick and the sides a little thin.
14. Place about 1 tsp or a bit more of the filling in the centre of the rolled dough.
15. Using your hands, cover the filling with the sides of the dough, sealing the ends nicely.
16. Remove the excess dough from the top. Gently press the dough rounds with your palm to flatten it.
17. Heat oil in a kadai (not smoking hot as that will tend to burn the kachoris and not allow to cook from inside).
18. Drop the kachoris into the oil one by one, not more than 3-4 in total at a time.
19. Do not disturb the kachoris and allow them to rise up slowly.
20. When the kachoris are rising, gently turn them over.
21. Cook both the sides golden brown and remove one by one from the kadai.
22. Serve hot with coriander chutney or tamarind chutney.
23. Or allow the kachoris to cool and store in an airtight container.
24. Recipe courtesy: Mad Cooking Fusions