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Hinger kochuri
Urad dal stuffed puffed bread
হিংয়ের কচুরি: Kolkata's soft puffed kochuri stuffed with hing-scented urad dal paste
In Kolkata's sweetshops, Sunday breakfast often means hinger kochuri: soft, white-flour puris stuffed with a smear of urad dal paste perfumed strongly with hing, fried puffy and served with aloo dum or a sweet-sour pumpkin chhokka. They are smaller and softer than North Indian kachoris, closer to a stuffed luchi. The hing must be generous; it is the point of the dish. The common mistake is a wet filling, which steams the dough from inside and stops it puffing; cook the dal paste until it leaves the pan dry. Chef's tip: roll gently from the centre outwards so the thin filling layer stays even and the kochuri puffs all over.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flour (maida)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil, for the dough
- ½ cup waterapproximately
For the filling
- 1 tbsp fresh gingergrated
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- ¾ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 1 tsp ground fennel
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
For frying
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour (maida), ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp sugar, rub in 2 tbsp sunflower oil, for the dough and knead with ½ cup water to a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rest 20 minutes.
25 minStep 2: Drain 3 ½ oz split skinless urad dal, soaked 3 hours and grind with 1 tbsp fresh ginger and 1 green chilli to a thick, coarse paste, adding no more than a spoon of water.
5 minStep 3: Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a non-stick pan, add ¾ tsp asafoetida (hing), then the paste with 1 tsp ground fennel, ½ tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp salt. Cook on low, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until dry and crumbly and it no longer sticks. Cool.
10 minStep 4: Divide dough into 12 balls. Flatten each, fill with a heaped teaspoon of the paste, seal and roll gently into 10 cm rounds.
15 minStep 5: Heat 3 cups sunflower oil for deep-frying in a deep kadhai, no more than a third full, over medium-high heat. A pinch of dough should rise at once in 1–2 seconds (about 350°F). Never leave the oil unattended.
5 minStep 6: Slide in one kochuri, press gently with a slotted spoon until it balloons, flip and fry 30 seconds more until pale golden. Drain and serve hot with aloo dum.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hinger kochuri take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour (maida)?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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