POTATO KACHORIS

POTATO KACHORIS

(Potato balls in chapatti flour)

Makes about 8 kachoris.

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hr.

This dish is very similar to samosas, but the pastry is made of chapatti flour, rather than plain flour. It can be served as a starter or at high teas and parties. Any left-over filling can be used for toasted sandwiches. For this

recipe you need a deep-frying pan or wok.

Ingredients for filling

• 30 ml (1 fl oz) cooking oil
• ½ tsp whole rai (black mustard seeds)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 450 g (1 lb) peeled potatoes, finely diced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 60 ml (2 fl oz) water
• 15 ml (½fl oz) lemon juice

Ingredients for pastry

• 225 g (8 oz) white chapatti flour, sieved
• 120 ml (4 fl oz) water
• 55 g (2 oz) chapatti flour for rolling out
• 600 ml (20 fl oz) cooking oil for frying

Method

1. In a pan, heat the oil to a high temperature. Add rai and let it cook for a few seconds. Add the onion and cook until the onion is golden brown. Add the potatoes, salt, turmeric powder and chili powder. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes.

2. Add the 60 ml (2 fl oz) of water, lower the heat, cover the pan and  allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes. Then add the lemon juice, mix well, and switch off the heat. Let it cool.

3. Place the chapatti flour in a big bowl; add half of the 120 ml (4 fl oz) of water and mix well. Continue adding small amounts of water at a time and mixing well until a soft, medium dough is formed. Divide this dough into roughly 8 equal pieces. Shape these pieces into round balls.

4. Sprinkle some dry flour onto each ball and roll it into a circle 13 cm (about 5 inches) in diameter. Place 4 teaspoonfuls of the potato filling in the middle of one half of the rolled chapatti. Lift the other half to cover the filling completely and squeeze the edges together, thus making a semi-circle shape with the filling in the middle. Lift it carefully and place it on one side. Repeat this with all the 8 balls. These filled balls are called kachoris.

5. Heat the 600 ml (20 fl oz) of oil to a high temperature, in a deep frying pan or wok. Now add 2 kachoris at a time and fry each side of the kachori until it is golden brown. This will usually take about 3 to 4 minutes for each side. Fry all the kachoris in this way.

6. Serve the kachoris while they are hot.