Moong Dal Kachori
Flaky, puffed pastry rounds stuffed with a spicy, tangy filling of yellow lentils and fennel, fried slowly until crisp. A Rajasthani street breakfast eaten with tamarind chutney.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the dough
Rub the or oil into the flour and ½ teaspoon of salt with your fingers until the mix holds together when squeezed. Add the cold water a little at a time to form a soft, non-sticky dough. Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- 250g flour
- 2 tbsp (30ml) or oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 100ml cold water
✅ Done when: dough is smooth, soft and holds its shape without sticking to your hands
Cook the filling
Coarsely grind the soaked with no water. Heat 2 tablespoons of or oil in a pan over medium heat, add the cumin, fennel and asafoetida, then stir in the ground dal. Cook 6–8 minutes, stirring, until dry and crumbly, then add the chickpea flour, remaining spices and remaining salt and cook 2 more minutes. Cool completely, then roll into 10 small balls.
- 100g
- 2 tbsp (30ml) or oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 pinch asafoetida
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- ½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: mixture is dry, crumbly and fragrant, no longer wet or sticky
Fill and close
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Fry very slowly
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Serve
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Make the dough
Rub the or oil into the flour and ½ teaspoon of salt with your fingers until the mix holds together when squeezed. Add the cold water a little at a time to form a soft, non-sticky dough. Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- 250g flour
- 2 tbsp (30ml) or oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 100ml cold water
✅ Done when: dough is smooth, soft and holds its shape without sticking to your hands
Cook the filling
Coarsely grind the soaked with no water. Heat 2 tablespoons of or oil in a pan over medium heat, add the cumin, fennel and asafoetida, then stir in the ground dal. Cook 6–8 minutes, stirring, until dry and crumbly, then add the chickpea flour, remaining spices and remaining salt and cook 2 more minutes. Cool completely, then roll into 10 small balls.
- 100g
- 2 tbsp (30ml) or oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 pinch asafoetida
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- ½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: mixture is dry, crumbly and fragrant, no longer wet or sticky
Fill and close
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Fry very slowly
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Kachori is thought to have developed among the trading communities of Rajasthan and the Marwar region, where dry, long-keeping foods suited the desert climate and travel.
Today every city has its specialty: pyaaz (onion) kachori in Jodhpur, khasta kachori in Varanasi and Delhi, and moong dal kachori in Jaipur, often eaten for breakfast with a spicy potato curry.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Crisp, flaky and packed with spice, kachori is the crunchy partner to a morning cup of chai in North India.
💡 Fun Fact
Well-made kachoris keep for days without going soft — one reason they were popular with travelling merchants.
Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh
26.91°N, 75.79°E
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