Masala Kachori (Indian Puffed Bread with Spices)

Masala Kachori is one of those items which can not only be eaten as a snack with a cup of hot tea but also be served as a main course dish. I love Masala Kachoris as they are the perfect way to satisfy those naughty food cravings. 

Like Parathas, Kachoris can also be prepared by using different types of stuffing’s which may be vegetables (like sweet peas and potatoes) or lentils (like Mung dal). However, preparing stuffed Kachoris for the beginners is no easy task as the stuffing’s often break open hence I would like to start with a simple Kachori which is prepared by mixing several different types of spices in the flour itself. This makes the overall preparation easy. Unlike Parathas which are shallow fried on skillets, Kachoris are always deep fried. When kneaded and fried properly the Kachoris have a puffed, slightly hard crust with a beautiful golden color. Although they taste best when hot, you can also eat them at room temperature.

In India, you can find ready made packets of Kachori masala (spice mix for making Kachoris) and you can just mix them in the flour and instantly make yummy Kachoris. Earlier I used to buy them all the time and prepare them as a snack with Tea. However, I soon realized that the ready made masalas do not stay fresh for a long time and tend to loose the taste, hence I came up with a different solution. I used the leftover Mathri dough to prepare some Kachoris and served them with Alu dam and leftover Rajma and you know what? Debarshi loved it. So, if you have the ingredients for preparing Mathri just re-use them for making this Puffy bread any time.

Preparing Kachori from scratch is a time consuming process but believe me this yummy puffy flaky bread is worth all the extra labor. The best part is, you can serve it with any left over sabjis, curries or even with some pickle (Indian pickles like Mango or Red Chili) so this weekend try this yummy bread.

Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour - 2 cups 
• Whole Wheat Flour - ½ cup
• Oil - 6 tablespoons + about 2- 3 cups for frying
• Water – about 5 - 6 tablespoons
• Carom Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Black Pepper - 2 teaspoons, coarsely crushed
• Dry Fenugreek Leaves - 2 teaspoons 
• Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon 
• Asafoetida - ¼ teaspoon
• Baking Soda - ¼ teaspoon
• Salt - 1 teaspoon

Others:

• Wok
• Spider Spoon

Directions for Kneading the Dough by Hand:

• Wash your hands, you will be using them a lot.
• In a large bowl mix the All Purpose Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Carom Seeds, Black Pepper, Dry Fenugreek Leaves, Cumin Seeds, Asafoetida, Baking Soda and Salt together. Mix using either your fingers or a whisk.
• Now add the Oil. Mix with your fingers until you get a sandy texture.
• Add water, a little at a time, and knead into a dough. You may need a few extra tablespoons of water if the dough feels tough. We need a tight dough so do not add a lot of water otherwise it will become gooey and too soft. Keep kneading it for another minute or two. 
• When the dough feels smooth, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or a plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. 

Directions for Kneading the Dough using a Stand Mixer:

• Attach the Bowl and Hook to your Stand Mixer and connect it.
• Add the All Purpose Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Carom Seeds, Black Pepper, Dry Fenugreek Leaves, Cumin Seeds, Asafoetida, Baking Soda and Salt in the bowl.
• Give them a whir on the lowest speed until its all well mixed.
• Add the Oil and give it a whir again for a minute or two.
• Now we start the kneading, start the mixer on lowest speed and slowly add a little water in the flour. I give it time to knead and form the dough. If the sides are sticking with the bowl too much I switch off the mixer and clean the sides using a spatula.
• I keep it running until the dough begins to come together adding a teaspoon of water at a time. 
• At this stage it will look dry, make sure not to add too much water at this stage. We need a tight dough so do not add too much water. Keep running the mixer. 
• Now sometimes the dough turns out a bit stickier I usually add a little flour or a tablespoon of oil and keep it kneading until its smooth and almost non sticky. 
• Remove the hook and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or a plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. 

Tip: Use the whisk attachment to mix the oil in the flour evenly.

Directions: How to roll the Kachoris

• Once the dough has rested, re-knead the dough for a few seconds. Then divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each part into a log like a thick breadstick. Divide both the logs into 14 equal pieces. 
• Now these 14 pieces will make 14 Kachoris. Take a piece of dough between your palms and roll it into a ball. Press the ball between your palms lightly to flatten it a little like a disc. Put all the other balls of dough back in the bowl and cover it. This will prevent the dough from drying out.
• Now let’s roll the Kachori, if the Meon (Oil) has been added properly (6 tablespoons) then it will allow the dough to roll smoothly so you will not need any flour for dusting. This will also bring a smoother texture and make the Kachoris flaky. However, if you find it difficult to roll, you can use All Purpose Flour.
• Place the disc on the rolling board and start rolling it. It should be small and round and not too thick. A little unevenness in shape is ok. 
• Now we are ready to start frying the Kachoris. You may want to roll a few more Kachoris before starting the first batch. Make sure you are not putting the rolled out Kachoris on top of each other. Keep them on a cookie sheet or a big platter on a single layer.

Directions for frying the Kachori:

• Heat oil in a deep frying pan or wok over medium- medium high heat.
• Test the temperature of the oil by dropping a small ball of dough into the oil. If there isn’t any bubbling, then the oil isn’t ready. If it’s furiously bubbling and there is smoke, that’s too hot. If the temperature is perfect the dough ball will take a dip and immediately float to the surface of the oil and start changing color.
• At this perfect temperature, add one Kachori at a time and fry by gently pressing it down with the frying spoon at different places.
• Turn over when puffed up (or after a couple of seconds) and fry the Kachori till golden brown.
• Transfer the fried Kachori on a paper towel or napkin to absorb the excess oil.
• Serve the Kachori hot with Alu Dam or eat it with a cup of hot tea.

Tips:

• Switch on the exhaust fan.
• I find it ok to multi task for this recipe but if at any point you find it overwhelming you may want to do one step at a time.
• The perfect frying temperature is very important for making puffy Kachoris. So, keep checking the temperature.
• If you are not able to fry a perfect puffy Kachori, it maybe due to the oil temperature. So, maintain an even temperature. Remember, preparing deep fried bread is a difficult task which needs patience and experience.
• Even if your Kachoris do not puff up, they will still taste great so do not throw them out.
• Make sure not to use a lot of flour while rolling the Kachoris, this will leave a lot of burnt flour in the oil and you will not be able to re use this oil for the next batches.
• I usually line a Colander with two paper towels and keep the fried Kachoris in it. The holes of the Colander allow the steam of the hot Kachoris to pass through thus maintaining the crispiness.
• Finally, as I said earlier do not pile the rolled out Kachoris on top of each other as the uncooked flour will stick together. Keep them on a single layer.
• When serving to guests, fry the Kachoris before hand and keep them warm and crispy by placing them in an oven safe dish. Heat the oven to the lowest temperature (170 degrees F) and place the Kachoris inside the oven. When ready to serve, they will be just as warm and crisp.

Recommended reading:

• How to Deep-Fry food with Confidence
• Colander (Kitchen essentials: Utensils which come handy)
• Excited to use new spices? Know more about Methi (Fenugreek)
• Excited to use new spices? Know more about Hing (Asafoetida)
• Mathri (Savory Indian Cookies)
• How to check if the oil is hot enough to fry
• Alur Dom (Bengali recipe: Potatoes with gravy)
• Picnic at Smithville Lake, Missouri
• Know more about Joan (Ajwain or Carom Seeds)
• Indian Salad
• Palak Paneer (Fresh Cheese in Spinach gravy)
• How to re-use the leftover dough
• Loknath wali Meethi Lassi (Sweet Yogurt based drink)
• Namkeen Puri (Deep Fried Savory Puffed Bread)
• Bhature (Deep Fried Puffed Bread)
• Niramish Alur Dom (Potato Gravy Without Onion and Garlic)
• Alu Kulcha (Indian Flat Bread with Potato Filling)
• Allahabadi Chatpata Alu (Spicy Tangy Potato Gravy of my Hometown)
• Masala Alu (Spiced Potatoes)
• Koraishuti’r Kochuri (Deep Fried Puffed Bread with Pea Filling)
• Palak Kachori (Deep Fried Bread kneaded with Spinach and spices)