FRESH TUVAR/LILVA KACHORI
Spicy fresh green pigeon peas stuffed in a crispy and flaky pastry. Famous Gujarati snack, ideal as a tea time treat.
Ingredients
For The Pastry Dough:
- 1½ cup plain flour
- ½ - ¾ cup water room temperature
- 4 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp salt
For The Filling:
- 1 cup fresh pigeon pea, lilva, tuvar
- ½ cup peeled and grated potato
- 2 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp asafetida optional
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp green chilli paste
- ¾ -1 tsp salt
- 1-2 tsp sugar
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp coriander cumin powder dhana jiru
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- ¼ tsp clove powder
- ½ cup fresh coriander chopped
- ¼ tsp grated coconut fresh
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
Preparation of Pastry Dough:
- Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.
- Rub in the oil.
- Add the water and form a dough that is not too soft or too hard.
- Don’t knead the dough too much.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and leave it on the side till required.
Preparation of the Filling:
- Coarsely mince the pigeon peas in a food processor.
- Heat oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add mustard and cumin seeds. When the seeds begin to sizzle, add hing and turmeric powder. Add the grated potato immediately. Mix well.
- Lower the heat and stir fry the potato for about 2 minutes.
- Add the minced pigeon peas. Mix well. Cover the pan and let the vegetable cook for about 3 to 4 minutes over very low heat.
- Take the pan off the heat. Add ginger, chilli, salt and sugar. Mix well.
- When the mixture cools down a bit, add coconut, fresh coriander, lemon juice, dhana jiru,cinnamon and clove powder. Mix it well.
Preparation of the Kachoris:
- Divide the dough into 24 parts and roll each part into a ball. Cover with a damp cloth.
- Make 24 balls from the filling.(about a heaped tablespoonful)
- To shape the filling into balls, you'll have to press it gently in your fist and shape.
- Roll the one part of the dough into a circle, about 3 inches in diameter.
- Place the filling ball in the middle of the circle. Gather up the edges to the middle. Pinch the edges together. The kachori at this stage will resemble a money bag. Remove any excess dough from the top by pinching it up. Roll the kachori gently into a proper round shape and place it on a greased tray
- Prepare the rest of the kachoris in the same way.
Frying the Kachoris:
- Heat the oil in a deep pan, wok or karai over medium heat.
- Drop a tiny piece of the dough into the hot oil. If it comes up immediately the oil is ready.
- Half fry 6 to 8 kachoris at a time lightly. Remove them with a slotted spoon or jara.
- At this stage you can freeze the kachoris by arranging the cold ones in a single layer in an airtight tin. Cover with cling film, close the lid and freeze. To fry, you must deforst them in a microwave oven or allow them to melt a bit for 15-20 mins at room temperature.
- Leave the half fried kachoris in a colander till you need to fry them to serve.
Frying the Kachoris:
- Heat oil the oil that's in the wok, karai or pan over medium heat.
- Add a tiny piece of dough to the hot oil. If it sizzles up immediately then the oil is ready.
- Add 6-8 half fried kachoris, lower the heat and fry them, turning them over frequently till they are light golden in colour.
- Fry the remaining kachoris ans serve with them hot with yoru favourite chutney or tomato ketchup.
Tips:
- If there is any dough left over, which there will be if you remove the extra dough while preparing the kachoris, roll them out into a circle and fry them. They taste good with a cup of masala tea.
- Prepare the half fried kachoris a day ahead and store them in a container in the fridge. Layer the kachoris on kitchen towel or foil in the container. Cover and refrigerate.
- Don’t overcook the tuvar otherwise the filling will taste dry.
- Adjust the amount of spices used according to your taste.
- While preparing the kachoris, keep them under a damp cloth so that the dough does not become dry.
- If the dough sticks to your rolling pin or board, smear them with a bit of oil.
- Remember to remove as much excess dough as you can otherwise the kachori will taste of raw dough on one side.