Paneer Kachori

          Kachoris are very popular in the Northern regions of India. A plate of these hot and crispy deep fried breads along with a side dish makes for a perfect weekend breakfast. Very simple and easy to prepare, these stuffed paneer kachoris can also be relished as snacks, lunch box meal or can be packed for a weekend picnic. So check the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

• 1 cup plain flour (makes 10)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper powder
• pinch of red chili flakes
• 1 tbsp. oil
• oil to deep fry

Stuffing - 

• 150 gms. paneer, mashed
• salt to taste
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp. ginger, grated

           In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the stuffing and keep aside. 

          In a separate bowl, mix together plain flour, whole wheat flour, salt, chili flakes, pepper and 1 tbsp. oil. 

          Add water little at a time and knead a tight dough. Cover with a wet cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.

          Divide the dough and the paneer stuffing into equal portions. Take one portion of the dough and roll into a small poori. 

          Stuff little of the paneer mix, close all edges and roll out. Make similar stuffed kachoris.

          Heat oil in a pan / kadai and deep fry the kachoris till light golden in colour. Drain on a kitchen towel and serve with any side dish. 

                                 Mix all ingredients for the stuffing & keep aside. 

  
                      In a separate bowl, mix plain flour, whole wheat flour, salt, chili flakes,
                      pepper & 1 tbsp. oil. Add water little at a time & knead a tight dough. 

                                  Take one portion of the dough & roll into a small poori.
                                  Stuff some paneer mix, close all edges and roll out. 

                                   Heat oil in a pan & deep fry kachoris till light golden in 
                                   colour. Drain on a kitchen towel.

                                            Serve these hot kachoris with any side dish. 

Mixed Dal Kachori (Stuffed Mixed Lentil Indian Bread)

          A plate of these yummy stuffed Kachoris along with any side dish makes for a perfect weekend breakfast. The stuffing is that of some leftover dal (lentil) that I reduced till dry. So next time you have any leftover dal and do not know what to do with it, go ahead and make these delicious kachoris to be enjoyed with family and friends. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 cup leftover Dal (lentil), simmered till dry
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1-2 tsp. ghee / oil
• pinch of salt
• oil to deep fry 

          In a bowl mix together flour, salt and ghee / oil. Add water little at a time and knead into a tight dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 15-20 minutes. 

          Knead again and divide into equal portions. Roll out each ball of dough into a small circle by smearing some oil. 

          Place a small ball of the stuffing in the centre and close all edges. Roll out again into a disc just like a poori. Make similar stuffed kachoris with the remaining dough.

          Heat oil in a pan and fry them to a light golden in colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a kitchen towel. Serve them with any side dish.

                                The leftover dal (lentil) reduced till dry & thick.

                   Roll out each ball of dough into a small circle by smearing some oil. Place a 
                   small ball of stuffing in the centre....

                                ....and close all edges. 

                                Roll out again into a disc just like a poori. 

                      Heat oil & fry them to a light golden in colour. Remove with a slotted
                      spoon & drain on a kitchen towel. 

                               Serve them hot with any side dish.

Hing Er Kochuri (Asafoetida Flavoured Stuffed Flat Bread - Bengali Style)

       
          Hinger Er Kochuri is a widely popular Bengali breakfast, had along with some Alur Torkari (potato curry). The asafoetida is a dominant flavour here unlike the kochuris of other regions. 

         It is a very common sight near any street corner eatery shops in Kolkata, to find eager and hungry morning customers busy devouring this delectable breakfast with enough zeal to last them till lunch time. It also happens to be a favourite evening snack too in many Bengali households.

• 1 cup maida (plain flour)
• 1 cup atta (whole wheat flour)
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. oil to knead

Stuffing-

• 1/2 cup urad dal (split black gram), soaked overnight
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. kalonji (onion seeds)
• 1 tsp. ginger-green chilies paste
• salt to taste
• 3/4 tsp. asafoetida
• pinch of turmeric powder
• oil to deep fry

          Grind the soaked dal along with very little water into a smooth paste. keep aside. Knead a dough out of the maida, atta, salt and 2 tbsp. oil with required quantity of water. Keep aside.

          For the filling - Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a non-stick pan and temper with kalonji. After it stops sizzling, add the ginger-green chilies paste and saute for a few seconds. Then add the ground dal, salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida. Saute till dry. Keep aside to cool.

          Divide the dough into equal portions. Take each portion in your hand and make a dent in the center. Fill 1 tsp. of the filling in it and close all edges. Fill up the other portions of the dough with the filling in the same way.

          Roll out each filled dough with the help of some oil into a small circle just like a poori. Roll the rest of the dough too and keep aside to fry.

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the kochuris one at a time till light golden brown in colour. Drain on a tissue paper and serve hot with potato curry.

Potato Curry 

• 2 potatoes, boiled & mashed
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 1" ginger, chopped
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. roasted panch phoron powder (equal quantities of fennel, mustard, fenugreek, cumin  & onion (kalonji) seeds)
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Heat oil and temper with cumin seeds. Add the onion, ginger and green chilies and saute till light brown. Add the mashed potatoes, salt, turmeric powder and panch phoron powder.

          Add 1 cup water and cook, covered for 3-5 minutes on low flame till the gravy turns slightly thick. Serve, garnished with coriander leaves.

Koraishutir Kochuri (Green Peas Kachori / Stuffed Deep Fried Bread - Bengali Style)

       
         This is one of the most popular and a favorite breakfast of all Bengalis. Come weekend and hot steaming Koraishutir Kochuri is a common feature in every Bengali household with either cholar dal or aloo dum. This type of kachori is also a fast food found in every street corner shops in Kolkata any time of the day. They are basically deep fried poori stuffed with mashed peas. So check out an easy step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

Stuffing- 

• 1 cup frozen green peas, blended
• 1" ginger, grated
• 2 green chilies
• 1 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds 
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida (hing)
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder (opt)
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder

Other Ingredients - 

• 1 cup plain flour (maida)
• 1 tbsp. oil
• pinch of salt
• lukewarm water to knead
• oil to deep fry

          Grind the peas along with ginger and green chilies and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and temper with cumin seeds / nigella seeds and asafoetida. Sauté for a few seconds.

           Add the ground paste all the dry spices. Sauté till the moisture dries up. keep aside to cool.

          Knead a dough with the plain flour, oil, salt and required quantity of water. Cover with a wet cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes. 

          Divide the dough and the stuffing into equal portions. Take a portion of the dough and make a dent in the center. Place a portion of the filling and close the edges to form into a ball.

          Roll out into a poori with the help of some oil. Roll out all the portions of the dough along with some filling in the similar fashion and keep aside.

          Heat oil in a pan and deep fry them one at a time, to a golden brown colour. Drain on a kitchen towel and serve hot with cholar dal, dum aloo or any side dish. 

                     Grind the peas along with ginger & green chilies. Keep aside. Heat oil & 

                     temper with cumin seeds & asafoetida. Sauté for a few seconds.

                                   Add the ground paste all the dry spices. 

Sauté till the moisture dries up. keep aside to cool.

                         Knead a dough with plain flour, salt, oil & required quantity of water.

                                 Cover & keep aside for 30 minutes. 

                                  Divide the dough and the stuffing into equal portions.

                      Take a portion of the dough & make a dent in the centre. Place a portion 

                      of the filling ,,,,

                                  ,,,, and close the edges to form into a ball.

                                  Roll out into a poori with the help of some oil. 

 Heat oil & deep fry them one at a time, to a golden brown colour. 

Drain on a kitchen towel.

                                  Serve hot with cholar dal, dum aloo or any side dish. 

Urad Dal Kachori (Stuffed Deep Fried Indian Bread)

          
         
           This is the most popular breakfast in most of the Northern regions of India. A plate of these hot and crispy fried breads along with some spicy potato curry is just out of this world. These kachoris are almost similar to Bengali's very own Koraishutir (Green Peas) Kachori. They taste not only delicious, but are quite wholesome to keep you going through the entire day. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

• 1 cup maida (plain flour)
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• water to knead

Stuffing---

• 1/2 cup urad dal (slit green gram), soaked overnight
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. amchur (dry mango powder)
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi, crushed
• oil to deep fry

          Grind the urad dal with very little water to a coarse paste. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and temper with cumin seeds followed by asafoetida. Add the ginger and green chilies and saute for a minute on low flame.

          Now add the urad dal paste, and all the powdered masalas and saute till the moisture evaporates and the mixture is dry. Keep aside to cool down.

          In a bowl, combine the maida, salt, soda bicarb and oil and mix well so that it appears like bread crumbs. Now knead a stiff dough with required quantity of water. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

          Divide the dough and the filling into 17 equal portions. Flatten each portion of the dough, fill the urad dal mix and close all the edges.

           Roll out into a small circle just like a puri. Roll out the rest of the dough in a similar manner and keep aside.

          Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the kachoris one at a time till golden in colour on both sides. Drain and serve, hot with potato curry.