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Jamnagari kachori

Dry sweet-spicy kachori

જામનગરી કચોરી: small, flaky dry kachori with a sweet-spicy filling of roasted gram flour, fennel, sesame, coconut and raisins

Jamnagari kachori are the little dry kachori that travel: Gujarati families buy them by the box in Jamnagar and carry them abroad, because the filling has no water in it and they keep for a month. The pastry is short and crisp, and the filling is a crumbly mix of roasted besan, dry coconut, sesame, fennel, coriander seed, sugar, raisins and a hit of chilli and dry mango, sweet, sour and hot at once. They are a tea-time snack and part of every Diwali tray. The common mistake is frying them fast; they need a long, slow fry on low heat so the pastry cooks crisp all the way through. Chef's tip: roast the besan for the filling until it smells nutty and just darkens, or the kachori taste raw and floury.
Total time
90 min
Difficulty
hard
Serves
10
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Ingredients

Serves10

For the pastry

For the filling

For frying

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What you'll need

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Method

0/8 done
  1. Step 1: Rub ¼ cup sunflower oil and ½ tsp salt into 9 oz plain flour (maida) for 3 minutes until it holds in a clump, then add ½ cup cold water slowly to make a firm dough. Cover and rest.

    8 min
  2. Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy pan over low heat and roast 2 ⅞ oz besan (gram flour) for 8–10 minutes, stirring all the time, until it smells nutty and turns light brown.

    10 min
  3. Step 3: Add 1 ⅜ oz desiccated dry coconut, 2 tbsp white sesame seeds, 1 tbsp fennel seeds and 1 tbsp coriander seeds and stir for 2 minutes until the sesame starts to pop. Take off the heat.

    2 min
  4. Step 4: Mix in 3 tbsp caster sugar, 1 oz raisins, ⅔ oz cashews, 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder), 1 tsp garam masala and ½ tsp salt. Cool; the mixture should clump when pressed. Roll into 30 small marbles.

    10 min
  5. Step 5: Divide the dough into 30 balls. Flatten each into a 6 cm cup, thinner at the edges, put a filling marble in, gather the edges over the top, pinch off any excess and roll gently into a ball. Press slightly flat.

    25 min
  6. Step 6: Pour 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil into a heavy kadai so it is no more than a third full and heat to 275°F. A piece of dough should sink and rise slowly, with only gentle bubbles. Stay with the pan.

    6 min
  7. Step 7: Fry 10 at a time on low heat for 15 minutes, turning now and then, until evenly golden brown and they sound crisp and light when tapped with a slotted spoon.

    45 min
  8. Step 8: Drain and cool completely before storing in an airtight jar for up to a month.

    10 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
320 kcal
Protein
6 g
Carbs
32 g
Fat
19 g
Fibre
3 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does jamnagari kachori take?
About 90 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
10 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.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
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 white sesame seeds?
Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.

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