This is a very special post for me..Everyone knows I have dabbled in Italian and French cooking, but for this Rakhi, I decided to woo my brother and you guys of course with something out of the ordinary.
Kachoris are a normal snack in India…but when you add the Mombasa way twist to this, what you get is crunchy, crumbly, flaky pastry with an absolutely delicious filling of moong daal..and wait for it…raw green mangoes!
These are so delicious that once you have one, you will most certainly go back for a second. Fact.
PS: See the broken handle?? My little monkey happened to it ,thankfully before I had got these kachoris in!
Rakshabandhan or Rakhi as we call it, is a celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters..Its a very special festival which kids & adults alike love to celebrate…There are family gatherings, music and laughter..joking and ribbing galore,…brothers swearing to protect and love their sisters always, sisters in turn telling their brothers how much they mean to them..sharing of gifts…mithais and of course food!! Can any celebration be complete without glorious food??
I made these new “firangi yet desi” style kachoris to be served to my brother and guests on Rakshabandhan…You can of course make them anytime you want to, they do not need an occasion!!
My brother who is working abroad currently should know that I am missing him terribly and will be thinking of him , especially on Rakhi…Hope to see you soon!
So what makes the filling so special ?? Is it just the addition of raw mangoes, is it the sweetness of the moong dal?? Its a combination of all the flavours that make this kachori what it is.I cannot emphasise enough how good lentils are with sweet, hot and sour flavours. The addition of sour green mango cuts through the richness of the daal and spices and balances the deep heat of the chillies, ginger and cinnamon perfectly.
So go ahead, make this delicious fried savoury and add a new region to your cooking repertoire apart from lodging yourself firmly in the hearts of your loved ones!!
60g crushed sev or gathia ..
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, non-stick pan and add the fennel seed,daal, green mango, ginger, chillies, turmeric, 500ml water, salt,red chillie powder and sugar. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure the mixture doesn’t stick and burn. Once cooked, add the cinnamon, coriander and crushed gathia/sev or ground peanuts. The mixture should become like a paste. Allow to cool.
Sit back, break open one delicious flaky pastry, dip into a bowl of sweet and spicy date and tamarind chutney.. add some khatti meethi coriander mint chutney, take a bite…( I mean a huge bite)… and start dreaming of your trip to Kenya, if not for the wild life,then atleast for the amazing food!
Kachori come in all flavours, shapes and sizes and can be made into round or tear shaped patties and topped with yoghurt, chopped onions and tomatoes to make chaat, or formed into rounds and served with chutney.
You can stuff the classic flaky pastry with crushed green peas, fried onions,methi ,urad daal or even potatoes.
The best part about this recipe is the dough and filling for these kachori can be made a day or two in advance, wrapped in cling film and kept in the fridge.
Simply make sure they come to room temperature before forming them and chill again before frying. This will ensure they’re gorgeously crisp once fried.
The trick to perfect kachori is to ensure the pastry is short, yet pliable enough to wrap thinly enough around the filling without creating holes which may break them whilst frying.
Make sure your kachoris are perfectly fried by tapping the pastry once they’ve had a chance to cool – they should sound hollow.
If you cannot find sev/gathia use 60g ground peanuts instead.
If you dont have powdered cinnamon , you can add garam masala instead.