Green Peas Kachori & A Prize Preview

A different take on kachoris this time....I made it with green peas, instead of Tuver Lilva or Moong Daal.Why? Because I am ALL out of Tuver Lilvas, and will have to wait to get them from Toronto next month...and I really am not fond of Kachoris made with daal....so tried these with Green peas instead.

This is one of the simplest recipes to make...here's my version:

Recipe:

For the Filling:
2 cups - green peas, fresh or frozen.
1-3 large jalapeños - chopped
1 medium piece ginger- chopped
1 tbsp- garam masala,
1 tbsp- coarsely ground Fennel,
Salt, Sugar, lemon Juice to taste.
Olive oil , asafoetida to temper the filling.

For the covering:
1 cup - all purpose flour, salt, oil or ghee, 1 tsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp- Sooji, water to bind the dough.

Make a semi-stiff dough by adding all the ingredients to the flour. Set aside.

TIP: Adding sooji and lemon juice will make the Kachoris crisp.

In a wide pan, heat some oil. Add asafoetida. When it sizzles, add the peas. Add some water to the peas, cover and let cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the seasonings, masalas, and let cook further until you can coarsely mash the peas. Use a potato masher to get the best results. Once it looks cooked, have a taste. Cool and set aside.

To fill the kachoris: Roll out small puris from the dough. Put a small amount of the cooled filling in the center of the dough, leaving enough space for it to be rolled up. Bring up the sides of the dough towards the filling and form a little basket. Pinch off the ends, pat into shape and set aside. Make all the kachoris in the same manner, just be sure to cover them with a slightly damp towel so that they don't dry out.

Deep fry on Medium-Low heat to make them crispy. For a healthier version, you can bake them, like Jai and Bee did when they made Gughras..have a look at that recipe.

TIP: Frying them on too high of a heat will make them brown very quickly,making you think it's crispy,but they will turn soggy later on....not fun to eat!
Serve hot with some chutney and tea....enjoy. This is also my contribution to Sushma of the beautiful blog SunKiran for her monthly cooking TIP-ology event!

For the Spring-Fling 2007 contest: Here is ONE of the many prizes to be won : There are plenty more...but I thought I'd give everyone a sneak peek:

The album "Dancing Waters" by Pt. ShivKumar Sharma and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasiya
Flute and Santoor amalgamation at its best.


More Prize previews coming in later posts.
Enjoy.