Kachori

Why must the filling be completely dry?

Because any moisture inside turns to steam and has nowhere to go. In the best case it softens the shell from within, so the kachori never becomes khasta, the word for that particular shattering crispness. In the worst case pressure builds and the kachori bursts in the oil. Ten to twelve minutes of cooking the ground dal, stirring, until it is visibly crumbly and no longer clumps, is what prevents both.

Why grind the dal coarse rather than fine?

Because texture inside the shell is part of the eating. A finely ground filling becomes a smooth paste that is dense and slightly claggy, while a coarse grind stays granular and separates when you break the kachori open. Grind the soaked dal with no water at all, pulsing, and stop while it is still recognisably grainy.

Why shape by hand rather than rolling?

Because a rolled disc has uniform thickness, and a kachori needs to be thicker at the edges than the centre so the seal holds and the middle can puff. Pressing the dough into a cup between your fingers gives that naturally. It is also gentler than a rolling pin, which tends to tear a stuffed ball and push filling through the dough.

Why fry so slowly?

For the same reason as samosa: a khasta shell forms only when fat penetrates the layered dough gradually. Hot oil sets the surface at once, trapping steam that blisters it and leaving the inside doughy. Starting in cool oil on the lowest flame for twenty minutes or more feels wrong the first time and is exactly right. The kachori should float up slowly and colour only at the very end.

What is the difference between kachori and samosa?

Shape, filling and shell. A samosa is a triangular cone, usually filled with potato and peas, with a smooth shell. A kachori is a round flattened ball with a dry, intensely spiced lentil filling and a shell that is meant to shatter. There are also regional kachoris with onion, peas or dried fruit fillings, and Rajasthan's pyaz kachori and Bengal's radhaballavi are quite different from each other.

Does the dal make it a good source of protein?

It makes it better than most fried snacks, which is a low bar. Moong dal contributes real protein and fibre, and a kachori carries more of both than a samosa. But the shell is refined flour with several tablespoons of ghee rubbed in and then fried, so the protein comes packaged with a great deal of fat and refined carbohydrate. It is a reason to prefer kachori over some alternatives, not a reason to eat it regularly.

What is it served with?

Tamarind chutney and green chutney, or in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh with a thin potato curry, which turns it into a breakfast rather than a snack. Bedmi kachori with aloo sabzi is a Delhi and Agra morning institution. Curd cuts the richness better than either chutney and is worth adding if you are eating more than one.