Indian
VeganJamnagari 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.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Serves
- 10
- Per serving
- 320 kcal
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 9 oz plain flour (maida)
- ¼ cup sunflower oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup cold waterroughly
For the filling
- 2 ⅞ oz besan (gram flour)
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 ⅜ oz desiccated dry coconut
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp fennel seedscoarsely crushed
- 1 tbsp coriander seedscoarsely crushed
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 oz raisinschopped
- ⅔ oz cashewschopped
- 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp salt
For frying
- 4 ¼ cups sunflower oilfor deep frying
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Method
0/8 doneStep 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 minStep 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 minStep 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 minStep 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 minStep 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 minStep 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 minStep 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 minStep 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.
KrazyBadal
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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