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.