Vatana ni Kachori

Fried dumplings with a delicious filling of fresh green peas and coconut

I never make Vatana ni Kachori when I am alone. It is one of those sinfully delicious snacks that you can never have enough of. The very thought of the filling made of fresh ingredients and the delicately crisp crust is enough to make my mouth water. And so, it is a dish that makes me look forward to having people over.

According to me, nothing beats the flavor of fresh green peas in season. It is no surprise then, that green peas feature a very prominent role in many of the seasonal Gujarati dishes cooked in winter. Half crush the shelled fresh green peas and roast in a little oil on a low flame for a few minutes. Grind together green chillies, a small piece of ginger, and fresh coconut cut into smaller pieces and add to the peas. Add chopped fresh coriander, lemon juice, garam masala, sugar and salt and keep aside.

Make firm dough using all purpose flour, with some shortening and salt added. Make small loaves about 1 inch in diameter and roll them out in thin rounds. Put a spoonful of filling in the middle and pull the sides up and press them together, roughly forming a shape like the one in the picture above. Trim off the extra dough at the top of the dumpling and pat it down. Try not to tear or leave any small holes in the dumpling where the filling peeks through, because these are sure to break open when you fry them. Deep fry till the kachoris are golden brown and serve piping hot with ketchup or coriander chutney.

Recipe for Vatana ni Kachori

5 cups shelled fresh green peas

4 tbsp oil

2-3 whole green chillies

½ inch piece of ginger

¾ cup fresh coconut cut into small pieces

2 cups fresh coriander

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp salt approximately

½ tsp garam masala

2 cups all purpose flour
Oil, for frying


1.  Half crush the shelled fresh green peas and roast in 2 tbsp oil on a low flame for a 3-4 minutes.
2.  Grind together the green chillies, ginger, and fresh coconut cut into smaller pieces and add the paste to the crushed peas.
3.  Add chopped fresh coriander, lemon juice, garam masala, sugar and approximately 2 tsp salt to the mixture and keep aside.
4.  Mix 2 tbsp oil and 1tbsp salt with the all purpose flour, and add just enough water to knead it into a firm dough, approximately ½ cup water should be enough.
5.  Make small loaves about 1 inches in diameter and roll them out in thin rounds. Put a spoonful of filling in the middle and pull the sides up and press them, making sure that they stick together.
6.  Trim off the extra dough at the top of the dumpling and pat it down. Try not to tear or leave any small holes in the dumpling where the filling peeks through, because these are sure to break open when you fry them.
7.  Deep fry in oil till the kachoris are golden brown and serve piping hot with ketchup or coriander chutney.

Churma na Ladoo

Sweet ladoos made of whole wheat flour that can also be served as a snack

In many cultures, foods are associated with specific festivals. In India, the kind of foods that are associated with festivals can sometimes vary a lot depending on location, community, religion, and a number of other factors besides. Sometimes, they even vary from family to family. Making ladoos for Ganesh Chaturthi is however a popular custom. And in my family, I look forward to the Churma na Ladoo that are made for this festival each year, it being one of my favorite sweets. These ladoos keep for days even without refrigeration and are extremely filling.

 

This dish requires careful preparation to get the texture of the ladoos just right. We start out with a mixture of whole wheat flour and rawa, to which shortening is added, and just enough water to make firm dough. The dough is then pressed into loaves that are roughly the shape and size of your palm when you make a loose fist. Leave the grooves that your fingers make in these loaves and do not try to smoothen them out by rolling. The more uneven their shape is, the crumblier texture of your ladoos will be.

Deep fry the loaves in oil on medium heat till they are light brown. Break open the fried loaves into smaller pieces while they are still warm. Broken loaves will look roughly like the ones in the middle bowl in the image. Once they cool down slightly, grind them to a powder that is neither too coarse, nor too fine. Again, it should look a little bit like the powder in the right bowl in the above image. Add melted ghee, ground sugar, cardamom, and nutmeg and roll them into spheres between the palms of your hands. You can take the prepared ladoos and roll them in poppy seeds or serve as they are. 

Recipe for Churma na Ladoo

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup rawa

¼ cup vegetable oil

1¼  cup ground sugar

⅔ cup melted ghee

½ tsp ground cadamom

A dash of nutmeg

Poppy seeds, optional

Vegetable oil, for frying

1.  Sieve together the whole wheat flour and rawa. Add the vegetable oil and approximately 1⅓ cup water. Knead into a firm dough.

2.  Press into loaves using the palm of one hand, the loaves should be the size of your palm when you make a loose fist. Leave the texture of the loaves uneven.

3.  Deep fry the loaves in oil on medium heat till they are light brown, and break into smaller pieces while still warm.

4.  Grind the fried loaves to a powder that is not too fine, but not coarse either.

5.  Add the ground sugar, melted ghee, cardamom, and a dash of grated nutmeg and mix properly.

6.  Press and roll into spherical balls. Spread the poppy seeds on a plate or a piece of paper and roll the prepared ladoos on it or serve plain.