Crispy Potato & Pea Kachori
Golden, crispy Indian pastry pockets filled with spiced potatoes and peas. These are fried until they puff up and shatter between your teeth—perfect for snacks, appetizers, or light meals.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 280
- Protein
- 4g
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup water
- 2 whole potatoes, medium
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon amchur (dried mango powder) or lemon juice
- 2 cups vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
- 1
Cut each potato into quarters lengthwise, then place each piece flat on the cutting board and slice crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick discs, like thin chips. This ensures even, quick cooking.
- 2
Place the potato slices in a small pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the frozen peas and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until both are just fork-tender.
- 3
Drain the potatoes and peas in a colander, shaking to remove excess water. Let them cool for 2 minutes.
- 4
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers and slides when you tilt the pan, about 60 seconds.
- 5
Add the cumin seeds to the hot oil and stir for 30 seconds until they crackle and smell toasty and fragrant.
- 6
Add the cooked potatoes and peas to the pan, then sprinkle over the chili powder and amchur powder.
- 7
Stir gently for 1 minute until everything is coated and heated through. Add salt to taste (about 0.5 teaspoon), then transfer to a plate and let cool completely.
- 8
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1.5 cups flour and 0.5 teaspoon salt by stirring with a fork to break up lumps.
- 9
Add 3 tablespoons vegetable oil to the flour and rub the mixture between your fingers and thumbs until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs with no visible clumps of oil.
- 10
Pour in 0.5 cup water a little at a time while stirring with a fork, adding just enough until the dough comes together in a shaggy ball.
- 11
Knead the dough on a clean work surface for 3 to 4 minutes by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand, folding it back, rotating it a quarter turn, and repeating until it feels smooth and slightly elastic.
- 12
Cover the dough with an inverted bowl and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes so it becomes easier to roll.
- 13
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces by cutting it into quarters, then cutting each quarter in half. Roll each piece between your palms into a smooth ball.
- 14
On a lightly oiled work surface, use a rolling pin to flatten one ball into a 3-inch-diameter disc about 1/8 inch thick, roughly the size of a small playing card.
- 15
Place 1.5 tablespoons of cooled potato-pea filling in the center of the disc, then fold the edges up and pinch them firmly together at the top to seal it into a tight ball, so no filling escapes during frying.
- 16
Repeat steps 14 and 15 with the remaining dough balls and filling until all 8 kachori are formed.
- 17
Pour 2 cups vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet and heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350°F on a deep-fry thermometer, or until a small piece of dough sizzles immediately and turns golden in about 15 seconds.
- 18
Working carefully, place 2 to 3 kachori at a time into the hot oil, using a slotted spoon to gently push them down if they float to the surface.
- 19
Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side until the surface turns golden honey-brown and looks slightly puffed, then flip each one gently with the slotted spoon.
- 20
Fry for another 1 to 2 minutes on the second side until evenly golden brown on both sides and crispy when you tap it with the spoon.
- 21
Remove the kachori with the slotted spoon and drain them on a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining batches.
- 22
Serve warm with tamarind chutney, mint chutney, or plain yogurt on the side.
Tools you’ll need
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- small pot
- colander
- large skillet
- large mixing bowl
- fork
- work surface
- rolling pin
- slotted spoon
- heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet
- deep-fry thermometer
- paper towels
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