Calories in Matar Kachori

ICMR-NIN gives roughly 380 kcal for 2 kachoris filled with green peas, without a weight for either, so one stands at 190 kcal. Kachori is a wide family. The Bengali koraishutir kochuri is soft and puffed like a stuffed puri; the khasta kachori of north India has a thick, short crust that shatters; and shops sell them anywhere from palm-sized to as broad as a saucer. The guideline cannot describe all of these at once, so take it as a rough marker for a pea kachori and expect a large khasta one to be above it.

A matar kachori is maida, green peas and oil. The peas are the lightest part: a vegetable with some protein and fibre, cooked down with spices. The maida is refined starch. The oil enters twice, first when fat is rubbed into the flour to make the crust short, and again in the kadhai, where the kachori is fried slowly so that it cooks through. Those two helpings of fat are why a kachori that fits in the hand carries nearly as much energy as a samosa, which is 200 kcal on the same guideline.

One matar kachori is about 9% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 11% of a woman's. A breakfast of two with aloo sabzi starts at about 380 kcal for the kachoris alone, and the curry takes it to a full meal's worth. Of the 10 fried snacks here only the samosa, at 200 kcal, is higher per piece. If kachori is the morning meal, keep lunch lighter and heavy on vegetables; if it is a snack, one is plenty.

Treat 190 kcal as a guide, since kachoris differ so much in size and crust. A khasta kachori keeps for days precisely because it is rich in fat and low in moisture, and that also makes it one of the most energy-dense snacks on a counter. It is made from refined flour, so it has little fibre. Anyone with diabetes, a heart condition or raised cholesterol should follow their doctor or dietitian's advice on fried snacks.