Moong Dal Kachori

-makes 12

Moong Dal Kachori or deep-fried Indian dumplings are a popular street favorite all over India. I have wonderful memories making these golden parcels with my father on his days off (that's my dad making them for dinner during one of his recent visits). We often had them for breakfast but these crispy dumplings are a treat any time of the day! The recipe looks daunting at first but trust me it's well worth the effort. And like me, feel free to triple the recipe as these beauties keep well for a few days even in hot and humid weather. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Moong Dal Kachori

For the dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup melted ghee
1 teaspoon sea-salt
1/2 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
about 1/3 cup water

For the filling:
1/2 cup moong dal (split yellow lentils)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon sea-salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
1/4 teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
2 tablespoons chickpea flour (besan)
1 teaspoon ginger, finely minced
1 fresh green chili pads, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
handful fresh mint and coriander leaves, chopped
vegetable oil, for deep-frying

For tamarind chutney:
4 tablespoons or 100g tamarind (available at Indian grocery stores)
1.5 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
4 tablespoons brown sugar/palm sugar

To serve:
1 cup plain yogurt,
1/2 teaspoon sea-salt
1/2 tablespoon sugar
Nylon Sev (available at Indian grocery stores)
1 cup Boondi (available at Indian grocery stores)

Recipe

For the dough

Combine all ingredients (except water) in a deep bowl. Now, adding little water at a time start mixing all ingredients together until a soft ball of dough comes together. Knead for a few minutes until dough is smooth and pliable.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

For moong dal filling

Rinse moong dal and soak in 3 cups of water for about an hour. Once done, drain water and place moong dal in a saucepan with 2 cups of fresh water. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric; stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and cook for about 10 minutes until lentils are al-dente. Drain excess water and set lentils aside to cool.
Heat a frying pan on low-medium heat. Add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds; toast for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Using a mortar and pestle, pound toasted seeds until coarsely ground. Set aside.
Heat oil/ghee in large non-stick frying pan, add asafoetida, besan and sauté on low-medium flame for a few minutes until slightly brown and fragrant.
Add cooled moong dal and sauté on low-medium flame for another minute. Add ginger, fresh chili, chili powder, turmeric powder, ground seeds, salt, mint and coriander leaves - stir well. Set aside to cool.
Divide the filling into 12 equal portions, make small balls and set aside.

Making tamarind chutney

Wash tamarind and place it in a small saucepan with 1.5 cups of water, bring it to a boil then simmer for 3-4 minutes. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.
Strain tamarind through a sieve, mashing it constantly in the sieve using the back of a spoon, until all the pulp is out of the fruit. Discard leftover seeds and fruit in the sieve.
Transfer the pulp into a small saucepan, add salt, chili powder, cumin powder and sugar. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for a few minutes on low heat until sugar dissolves and sauce thickens. Let it cool. Refrigerate for up to a week.

Making Kachori

Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, make smooth balls and set aside.
Roll out each portion of the dough into a 2.5 inch diameter circle. Place a portion of the moong dal filling in the center of the dough. Bring the edges of the dough up to seal the filling, and remove any excess dough.
Roll the filled portion again into a 3-inch diameter circle, making sure the filling doesn't spill out. Make the rest of the kachoris the same way.
Heat a few inches of vegetable oil in a deep skillet. Deep-fry 2-3 kachoris at a time on low-medium flame (making sure not to over crowd the pan). Deep-fry for 12-14 minutes flipping every few minutes until kachoris are crispy-golden all over. Drain on paper towels. Cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

To serve

Soak bondi in a cup of water for 10 minutes. Drain water through a sieve and squeeze boondi using your hands or the back of a serving spoon to remove excess water. Set boondi aside.
Whisk yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 tablespoon sugar until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve kachoris by cracking open the smooth side and making a hole. Fill with a heaping tablespoon of softened boondi, 1-2 tablespoons whisked yogurt, 1-2 tablespoons tamarind chutney, and a generous sprinkle of nylon sev. Serve immediately.