Pyaaj ki Kachori/Stuffed Onion Fried Pastry
Pyaaj ki kachori- A mouthwatering delicacy from Rajasthan, India. Pyaaj ki Kachori is very famous in Jaipur, Rajasthan and being a Jaipurite how come I not share this yum recipe with you all. A perfect kachori is one that is puffed up crispy and flaky outside but hollow inside as the filling sticks to the crust.
As name suggests Pyaaj/Onion is main ingredient used to prepare this recipe stuffing with some whole crushed spices and some dry spices. Then the stuffing is stuffed into soft dough and is deep-fried on a slow flame to achieve that deliciously crisp crust outside and hollow, well-cooked inside. This crispy, flaky deep-fried pastry with spicy, tangy, sweet stuffing is perfect snack for a rainy day or for tea time. Taste best when served hot with Coriander chutney or with Tea. Serve hot with Khajur-imli chutney/Dates-tamarind sauce/ or Fresh-mint-coriander-chutney .
Step by Step Instructions with Photos
For the Dough
- In a mixing bowl mix flour, ghee and salt, rubbing with your fingers to make crumb like texture. The mixture will hold a shape just like shown in picture.
- Next add in water as required and knead into smooth and soft dough for 4-5 minutes.
- Cover the dough with a wet muslin cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes.
For Masala
- In a mortar or on a board roughly crush cumin, fennel, kala jeera and coriander seeds.
- Heat the oil in a broad non-stick pan; once is hot add crushed spices and when seeds start sizzling add asafetida.
- Add crushed ginger, garlic and chopped green chilies. I have skipped green chiles as I was making for my 8-year-old.
- Sauté for few second until raw smell of garlic is gone. Add chopped onion and continue to sauté until inion turns light brown.
- Next add in all dry spices: Red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, dry mango,powder/Aamchur, sugar and salt. Mix well.
- Add besan and sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until you smell good aromatic smell of spices and besan.
- Now add boiled and mashed potato. Mix well and cook every thing for 3-4 minutes. Adjust salt and spices as per your taste.
- Add chopped coriander, mix everything very well and switch of the flame.
- Keep side and let it cool down.
Make Kachories
- Divide the dough and filling into 12 equal portions making round balls.
- Roll out each portion of the dough into a 2-3 “diameter circle.
- Place one portion of the onion stuffing in the center.
- Bring together all the sides, seal it tightly and remove any excess dough.
- Gently press and pat to flatten the filled kachories to 2-3" diameter circle with hands, while ensuring that the filling does not spill out. You can use rolling pin too.
- Repeat same steps to make remaining kachories.
- Heat the oil in a deep pan and fry kachories on a medium-slow flame till golden, crisp and flaky from both sides.
- Drain on an absorbent paper and serve hot with with Khajur-imli chutney/Dates-tamarind sauce/ or Fresh-mint-coriander-chutney .
Recipe Card
Pyaaj ki kachori is crispy, flaky deep-fried pastry with spicy, tangy, sweet stuffing is perfect snack for a rainy day or for tea time.
- 2 ½ cup All-purpose flour
- 4-5 Tbsp. Clarified butter/Ghee
- salt to taste
- Water for kneading
- 1 Tsp Cumin seeds/Jeera (roughly crushed)
- 1 Tsp. Black cumin seeds/Kala Jeera (roughly crushed)
- 1 Tsp Fennel seeds (roughly crushed)
- 1 Tbsp Coriander seeds/Sabut dhana (roughly crushed)
- 2 Tbsp. Oil
- 1 generous pinch Asafetida
- 1 Tbsp Garlic (minced or grated)
- 1 Tbsp, Ginger (minced or grated)
- 2 pc Green chilies (finely chopped)
- 2 cups Onion (thinly sliced or chopped)
- 1 Tsp Red chili powder
- ¼ Tsp. Turmeric powder
- ½ -1 Tsp. Garam masala
- 2 Tsp Dry mango powder/Aamchur
- 1 ½ Tbsp. Sugar
- Salt (To taste)
- 4 Tbsp. Gram flour/Besan
- 1 cup Potato, boiled and mashed
- 1 hand full Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- Oil (For deep frying)
- Khajur imli chutney (see Notes for recipe)
- Green chutney (see Notes for recipe)
In a mixing bowl mix flour, ghee and salt, rubbing with your fingers to make crumb like texture. The mixture will hold a shape just like shown in picture.
Next add in water as required and knead into smooth and soft dough for 4-5 minutes.
Cover the dough with a wet muslin cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes.
In a mortar or on a board roughly crush cumin, fennel, kala jeera and coriander seeds.
Heat the oil in a broad non-stick pan; once is hot add crushed spices and when seeds start sizzling add asafetida.
Add crushed ginger, garlic and chopped green chilies. I have skipped green chiles as I was making for my 8-year-old.
Sauté for few second until raw smell of garlic is gone. Add chopped onion and continue to sauté until inion turns light brown.
Next add in all dry spices: Red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, dry mango,powder/Aamchur, sugar and salt. Mix well.
Add besan and sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until you smell good aromatic smell of spices and besan.
Now add boiled and mashed potato. Mix well and cook every thing for 3-4 minutes. Adjust salt and spices as per your taste.
Add chopped coriander, mix everything very well and switch of the flame.
Keep side and let it cool down.
Divide the dough and filling into 12 equal portions making round balls.
Roll out each portion of the dough into a 2-3 “diameter circle.
Place one portion of the onion stuffing in the center.
Bring together all the sides, seal it tightly and remove any excess dough.
Gently press and pat to flatten the filled kachories to 2-3″ diameter circle with hands, while ensuring that the filling does not spill out. You can use rolling pin too.
Repeat same steps to make remaining kachories.
Heat the oil in a deep pan and fry kachories on a medium-slow flame till golden, crisp and flaky from both sides.
Drain on an absorbent paper and serve hot with with Khajur-imli chutney/Dates-tamarind sauce/ or Fresh-mint-coriander-chutney .
For the Dough
- To make any flaky pastry, the proportion of flour to oil/ghee is very important.
- The amount of water required to knead the dough is another important factor as too much water will make the dough crisp but not flaky and too little can dry out the dough
- Keep the dough covered with a moist cloth at all times.
For frying
Frying Kachories is easy if fried at proper temperature of oil.
- Frying in too hot oil results in a crisp exterior but not flaky and uncooked interior and filling.
- Frying in too cold oil end up the dough soaking a lot of oil and a greasy pastry.
To know the temperature while frying, add a small piece of dough to the oil.
- If the dough comes up quickly, the oil is hot, need to lower the flame.
- If the dough takes a lot of time to come, the oil is cold, increase the flame.
- If it comes steadily to the surface, then the Kachories are ready to be fried.
When you add the Kachories to the hot oil, the temperature of the oil does get lowered naturally, so accordingly increase the flame.
Click here for Fresh-mint-coriander-chutney recipe
Click here for Khajur-imli-chutney-dates-tamarind-sauce recipe
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