(Lima) Beans and Delhi Cha(a)t

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Peas...fully :)


Let me admit right in the beginning (and I fear crucifixion for this), I was never an ardent pea admirer. I do realize peas are very popular among a lot of food lovers, but I never found them that special. I remember when as children my brother and I used to help Ma shell out peas, Dada (my brother) would always keep popping them into his mouth, unable to resist the temptation. I imitated him a couple of times and wondered why he found them so tasty; I never did.

At the same time, I don’t abhor peas either. This versatile green grain often found its way into a whole range of foods—from curries, to pulao, salads, and I never minded eating it. But mostly, I remained indifferent to its existence and didn’t think any more of it than a mere side (if I may dare say that) ingredient.

However, there are a couple of things we make with this green pod that have no substitute at all. And those bowl me over as well. These are peas parantha and peas kachori—two delightful wonders to be had in the winters. So it is with great joy that I bring motorshutir (peas in Bangla) kachuri or peas kachori for this month’s From My Rasoi theme—breakfast. . The event, hosted by the talented Meena of Hooked on Heat has already proved to be scrumptious affair.

And so here is something for a comfort breakfast, preferably to be savoured on a lazy weekend morning.

Motorshutir Kachuri/Peas Kachori


Ingredients:

For filling:

Peas: 500 gms
Ginger: 25 gms
Green chilli: 2-3
Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida (hing) powder: A pinch
Salt
Oil: 1 tablespoon

For Kachori (pancake) dough:


Flour: 1 kg
Baking powder: ½ teaspoon
Salt
Oil: 2 tablespoons

Oil for frying kachoris

Method:


Step I: The filling:

1. Shell out the peas or use frozen ones and wash them.
2. Add some salt, chopped ginger, chopped green chillies to the peas and blend into a fine paste. Add a little water if required.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet and drop the cumin seeds and asafoetida (hing) powder.
4. When the cumin seeds begin to splutter, add the peas paste and keep stirring, until the water dries out and the oil starts separating.
5. Keep aside and let it cool.


Step II: The kachori dough:


1. Sift flour into a bowl. Add the baking powder, a little salt, and two tablespoons of oil in it. Mix well.
2. Add water and knead into a tight dough of medium consistency (dough should be neither too soft nor too hard).

The grand finale: Making the kachoris:


1. Make small balls from the dough. Roll each ball within your palms, make a cavity and fill it with a teaspoon of the filling.
2. Close the ball and smoothen it by rolling within the palms.
3. Using a rolling pin, roll the balls out into small pancakes.
4. Deep fry until golden brown
5. Serve hot with any chutney/pickle.

Perfect comfort food for a winter morning. And if there’s a cup of hot chai to accompany it, that would be perfection perfected, no?


Take a bite!

Sury

20 comment(s):

Wow Sury!! Those look delicious!! My hubby just loves these kachoris. I ate them at his place when his mom made them for me and loved them as well. I've tried making them once but they turned out so awful!

Thanks for the recipe, now i can make them well!! :o)

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:40 PM  

Those look so yummy Sury....

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:12 PM  

Nice Sury. They look delish!

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:53 PM  

Thanks, Meena. I hope you can make it for your husband soon :)

Thanks a ton, Tina and Ashwini. Glad you like :)

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:05 PM  

Sury, This looks so yummy!

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:15 PM  

They look so YUMM :)

Parna

foodiesbar.blogspot.com

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:18 AM  

Thanks, Kay and Parna. I do agree, very yum, especially in this cold season :)

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:48 AM  

Love peas.:)that looks good.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:07 PM  

Thanks, Sailu!

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:24 PM  

God, I wish I COULD take a bite! They look so yummy...!

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:44 PM  

Aww, Shammi, thanks. Now to let you all in on a secret. I didn't make those. My mother did. Okay, okay, I did help her with preparing the stuffing. But the credit goes fully to her for this one :)

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:08 PM  

Sury,Wow, you do have a perfect menu made out for me..thanks !
Bought a whole heap of peas from the market (it's the least priced of all veggies at present in the market ;)These look so appetizingly delicious...can't wait to take a bite!

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:59 PM  

Do take a bite, Lera. I am sure you will love them. Btw, tried your ganth gobi recipe today--tasted yum. So thanks :)

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:18 PM  

i tried this out last sunday. hubby had a smile which was difficult to wipe out :) thanks to you

Parna

foodiesbar.blogspot.com

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:48 AM  

That's so good to know, Parna! As good a compliment as there can be any. Say my hello to your hubby :)

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:12 AM  

Those puris look so delicious! I have the recipe bookmarked and will let you know when I try it :)

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:24 PM  

Thanks, Nupur! Please do, and let me know how it turns out.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:32 PM  

Now thats what one calls delicious calories! Totally love them... thanks for reminding me...need to prod my mum to make some as soon as i'm back home!I know I'm lazy!!

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:31 AM  

love kachoris good one.

By Blogger KALVA, at 11:01 PM  

Sury, I must say you have converted me to a pea lover, delicious.

By Anonymous Famous Restaurant Recipes, at 12:09 PM  

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