Moth Dal Kachori
By Sherry Mehta
Feature photo credit: The Nomad Foodie
Serves 2 people.
For the Moth Dal:
- 1 cup moth bean (also known as mat bean, dew bean or Turkish gram)
- 1 tbsp. red chilli powder
- 1 tbsp. coriander powder
- ½ tbsp. turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp. tamarind paste
Method:
- First soak and boil the moth beans in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles and simmer for 20 minutes (If you don’t have a pressure cooker, use a slow cooker or deep pan covered with lid)
- Then add the powdered spices (red chilli, coriander, and turmeric), oil and the tamarind paste to the pot of beans.
- Let this slow cook for half an hour without the lid on.
To make the Kachori Shell:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 to 5 cups of sunflower or grapeseed oil for frying
- 1 tbsp. fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
- 1 cup of water
- Salt (to taste)
Method:
- Form a dough using the all-purpose flour, fennel and coriander seeds, water, salt, and 2 tbsp. oil. Then let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Cut and roll the dough into smaller golf ball-sized pieces.
- Take the dough ball and fill a spoonful of this filling into the ball and roll them back up into the ball shape.
- In a wok, heat 500 ml of oil, and deep fry the dough balls till they are reddish brown and keep aside.
For the Kachori Filling:
- 1 cup yellow mong dal (pre-boiled until al dente)
- 1 to 2 green chillis (chopped)
- 1 tsp. asafoetida or hing
Method:
- Coarsely chop or grind the boiled moong dal and take 1 tbsp oil in a kadai or pan.
- Sauté the green chillies with hing, then add the moong dal and remove from the heat.
For the Pickled Onions:
- 1 medium-sized red onions (sliced)
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 tbsp. Kashmiri chilli
- Rock Salt (to taste)
Method:
- After slicing the onions, make a quick pickle by combining with white vinegar, Kashmiri chilli and rock salt.
- This is an instant pickle and should be ready within 5-7 minutes. Make it before frying the kachoris so that there is enough time for the pickling to take place.
- Leave aside until plating.
- The onions will also release water while pickling, this can be used as part of the garnish.
To Serve:
- Crumble the kachoris into a bowl.
- From the top, add the prepared moth dal.
- Next drizzle in 1 tbsp. green chutney, 1 tbsp. tamarind chutney and the pickled onions.
- Spoon a spoonful of the liquid onion vinegar water over the dal.
- Sprinkle chaat masala on top and serve.
- Enjoy!