kachaudi dal

One good thing about the food events is that you get to know about the ingredients that you have never heard before and try to make something with it. If the recipe comes out good, its a double bonus. One such event is Think Spice and the ingredient that is new to me is kalonji. As usual I called my aunty in Calcutta. Without any thinking, she stared giving me the recipe for this very aromatic kachaudi that uses kalonji. I then came to know that she just got this recipe from one of her friends and planning to make them. For people who are not very familiar with the word kachaudi, its kind of a stuffed puri.

When I was making these Kachaudis(and tasting or rather testing it, side by side) I got a nice taste of kalonji. That is when I realised how many times I have eaten this spice put in kachaudis that I used to relish in the Durgapur railway station during my college days.. My mother and husband who have had these kachaudis before in Durgapur and Benaras respectively certified that the kachaudis I made were very authentic. I was elated and thanked my aunty for giving this great recipe which also brought back the memories of my college days.

I also made an aloo-channa dal side dish for the kachaudi.

Recipe for both the items follow.

Kachaudi (around 16 puri sized kachaudis)

Ingredients for the stuffing

Urad dal: 250 gms(split or full, anything is OK. I used full eventhough my aunty told me to use the split ones as I did not have them)
kalonji: 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Ingredients for the dough

All purpose flour/Maida: 300 gms
Wheat flour/Aata: 100 gms(Aata can be completely omitted and 400 gms of maida can also be used)
Water to make the dough
Salt to taste

Refined oil for frying the kachaudis

Procedure

1. Soak urad dal in water for half an hour.
2. Make the kachaudi dough and keep aside.(Procedure is same as how we make puri dough)
3. Drain water from urad dal and grind it in a mixer. Add very little water while grinding. It need not be very smooth, it can be a bit coarse. The consitency should be solid and should be able to hold the mixture in hand.
4. Pressure cook the ground dal by making medium sized flat balls and keeping them in idli container. (Even if idli container is not there, the balls can be placed in an wide mouthed vessel and pressure cooked.) Do not put the weight when the steam starts coming. Put off the stove after 5 minutes.
5. In the meantime, add refined oil in a kadai/pan and keep in medium flame.
6. Remove the cooked dal from cooker once the steam is completely released.(10 to 15 minutes after putting off the stove)
7. Place the cooked urad dal balls in a bowl.
8. Add kalonji and salt to taste.
9. Break the balls by mashing them with hand and mix well so that kalonji and salt are spread evenly.

To make the kacaudis

10. Make small balls.(The size of the ball depends on the size you want the kachaudis to be)
11. Make a bit bigger sized balls than the urad dal stuffing, with the dough.
12. Roll the dough to a small circle.
13. Place the urad dal stuffing at the centre, close it by bringing the rolled dough from all sides and ending at the top.
14. Roll once again to desired sized circle.
15. Once the oil is hot, put the rolled kachaudi in the oil.
16. Fry both sides until light brown. (The kacahudi puffs up like puri when you drop it in the oil)

Aromatic kachaudi is ready.

Dal

Ingredients(that serves 5 to 6 people)

Potato: 450 gms (boil, peel and cut into cubes)
channa dal/Bengal gram: 100 gms (cooked. I generally pressure cook)
green chily: 2 medium size
Cumin seeds: 1 tbsp
Saunf(perunjeeragam in tamil): 1 tbsp
Ginger: a small piece(peeled)
Garlic: 4 to 5 cloves
Tej pattha: 2 to 3 leaves
Refined Oil: 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Procedure

1. Grind green chilly, cumin seeds, saunf, ginger and garlic to a smooth paste.
2. In a pan/kadai, add oil. Once it is hot, add tez pattha. Simmer and add the ground mixture.
3. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the boiled potatoes and stir well.
4. Add the cooked channa dal and salt.
5. If it is too thick, add some water. The consistency of the dal should be thin. Put of the stove after 5 to 7 minutes.

Serve hot kachaudis with dal. The kachaudis are very filling and it makes for a good breakfast.

This recipe for Kachaudi is my entry to Think Spice-Think Kalonji event hosted by ammalu's kitchen.