Moong Dal Khasta Kachori Recipe | Snack Idea

Moong Dal (in Hindi) is the split skinned yellow mung.  Khasta (in Hindi) means crisp or flaky.  Kachori is a puffed-up fried snack: the dough made with flour is rolled out and filled with a spicy filling.  Hence, this is Moong Dal Khasta Kachori: crisp snack with a spicy yellow mung dal filling, and is also called as Moong Dal Kachori / Dal ki Kachori / Khasta Kachori.

The most popular kachori I know of and love are Moong Dal Kachori (yellow mung), Matar Kachori (green peas), and Pyaaz Kachori (onion).  In some parts of India, some type of kachoris are made flat and soft not crisp, and are meant to be eaten with a curry, especially a potato one called Aloo Dum.

The Moong Dal Khasta Kachori in this post is not that.
Moong Dal Kachori Recipe

Yield: 16 kachoris

For kachori filling (fill 16 kachori):

1 cup moong dal [split skinned yellow mung]

½ Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp finely cut karipatta [curry leaves], use scissor

2 tsp adrak [ginger paste or grated ginger]

1 tsp hari mirchi [green chili paste or finely chopped green chilies, adjust to your taste]

One pinch heeng [asafetida]

¼ tsp haldi [turmeric powder]

½ tsp lal mirch powder [red chili powder], adjust to your taste

1 ½ tsp dhaniya powder [coriander seed powder]

1 tsp jeera powder [cumin seed powder]

1 tsp saunf powder [fennel seed powder]

2 Tbsp besan [Bengal gram flour]

1 tsp salt, adjust to your taste

3-4 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp lemon juice or amchoor [dry mango powder]

For kachori dough (make 16 kachori):

2 cup all-purpose flour *

¼ cup oil

½ tsp salt

½ cup water (less or more to adjust dough)

Oil to fry

For binding:

½ tsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp water

* Or you can use 1 cup all-purpose + 1 cup whole wheat if you are going to eat the kachori the same day.  If you use whole wheat flour to make dough, the kachori will stay best, crisp, and flaky on the day it is fried and will turn soft the next day.

How to make Moong Dal Khasta Kachori:

There are three steps to making moong dal kachori:

1) making the filling,

2) making the dough,

3) assembling and frying the kachori. 

You can make the filling and the dough 2-3 days beforehand too, especially if you want to prepare these for a party.  The recipe for kachori dough is a basic one that can be used with any kind of filling for the kachori.  I like to use part whole wheat flour replacing the same amount of all-purpose flour in a lot of recipes these days, and this substitution works perfectly fine in this kachori recipe too.  I really do not see the need of adding any baking soda or baking powder in the kachori dough, as noticed in several recipes on the internet.

How to make the kachori filling:

1.  Soak yellow mung dal for 4-5 hours.  Drain.  In a pan, dry roast the drained moong dal for about 15-20 minutes on medium heat until it starts to change color – from pale yellow to a dark yellow.  Then coarsely grind and keep aside.

 

2.  Heat oil in the same pan.  Add the curry leaves + Bengal gram flour, stir for 30 seconds until roasted but not until it browns, add ginger + green chilies + asafoetida + turmeric powder + red chili powder + coriander powder + cumin powder + fennel seed powder, mix.

3.  Add roasted grinded yellow mung dal + salt.  Stir this mixture occasionally for about 2 minutes.  Add water, stir mixture occasionally for 3-5 minutes until almost all moisture evaporates but not get entirely dry.  Water adds moisture, but the mixture should not be too moist.  Add the lemon juice or amchoor, mix, taste and adjust the salt and spices to your taste, switch of heat.  Keep aside and let the mixture cool down.

Make the kachori dough:

Very simply, add flour + salt + oil in a medium bowl, mix and rub the flour with oil with your palm for 30 seconds until you can form a lump when you press some amount of flour in your fist.  There’s no need of rubbing or mixing further.  Then add half the amount of water and mix to form a dough.  Continue to add a Tbsp more water at a time until you make a semi-firm and smooth dough.  Don't add all the water at once.  It should NOT be as soft as a phulka or chapati dough.  Cover and keep dough for 15-20 minutes.  You can keep dough on the kitchen counter or cover with a plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 days whenever you are ready to make kachori; it’s all good.

Assemble the Moong Dal Khasta Kachori:

1.  Divide the dough into 16 balls.  The proportion of ingredients that makes the dough is perfect to make the right size of kachori.  Keep the balls covered under a cloth or cling wrap so they don’t dry out.

 

2.  Divide the filling into 16 portions by pressing the mixture in your fist to create portions then form balls.

3.  In a small container, mix cornstarch + water until smooth – use this for binding your kachori dough.

4.  Roll out each dough ball at a time to about 2 inch diameter, give it a shape of a bowl as you hold it in your cupped palm while pressing the filling ball inside (see picture), lightly apply a little cornstarch paste on the edges, bring all the edges together, pinch to seal, press and keep the sealed down down.

5.  Apply gentle pressure with your fingers and flatten the filled kachori to about 3 inch diameter, taking care that the filling does not ooze out or tears the dough.

6.  Prepare all the kachori in the same way.  Remember to keep them covered under a cloth or cling wrap so they don’t form a dry skin on the outside.  Because then they will tear when you pick up and put in pan for frying, and the oil will get inside the kachori through the holes.

7.  Once you are halfway done through the kachori, heat oil in a wok or frying pan on medium heat.  The oil should be about 1-2 inches high and the pan should have space for the kachori to puff up and for you to turn the kachori over.  When the oil is hot, gently add the flattened kachori.  Let it fry on one side, then flip.  It will puff up by itself.  Seeing how much space you have in the pan, add more flattened kachori one at a time, and keep turning them over so they are evenly fried until light brown in color.

IMPORTANT: Frying kachori on medium-low heat is essential if you want them to stay crisp until the next few days. If you fry on medium-high heat, they will brown faster from the outside leaving raw dough inside and be crisp for a day, but become soft the next day.

8.  Transfer the lovely fried moong dal kachori onto a paper towel to drain excess oil.  When completely cool, place them in a dry container (without any paper towel).

Kachori shelf life: The kachori stays well for 2-3 days at room temperature or 5-6 days in refrigerator.  When ready to serve, put the kachori in a toaster oven at a low temperature (about 300-350F) for 6-7 minutes and eat warm.

How to serve moong dal kachori?  How to eat khasta kachori?
a) As a snack along with some mint or tamarind chutneys if you want to give it as an appetizer.
b) As an accompaniment to the Indian Chai.
c) As Kachori Chaat: Poke a hole in the center of the kachori, fill it with smooth whipped homemade yogurt, mint &/ coriander chutney, tamarind chutney, some boiled diced potatoes, sprouted moong, some finely chopped cilantro, and sprinkle a generous amount of thin sev.

Please note, while this recipe states that the yield is 16 kachori, there are times I have made 20 kachori out of the same proportions - a smaller sized kachori with lesser filling when I knew I was going to serve it as Kachori Chaat.

My secret to making a delectable yellow moong dal filling is a well-roasted moong dal.  And the secret to a wonderfully crispy (khasta) kachori is frying on a medium-low heat.  Trust me, it makes all the difference.

Enjoy.
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