The mesmerising monsoon is here, and we all are smitten by it. The cool breeze, dusky sky and lush green covers are a treat to the eyes. You will agree if I say that monsoon makes us crave spicy and fried street snacks. The rainy season is synonymous with chaat. Something that startles your taste buds is everything you desire in monsoons. When it comes to spicy street food, nothing can beat kachori. The ultimate food item can be paired with various other ingredients to create unique dishes.
Delhi is famous for its street food and its varieties. Kachori is one such snack that is sold here in different varieties. Kachori is a hot, deep-fried delicacy of Indian subcontinent origins that is prevalent everywhere South Asian and Indian diaspora is found. The snack is also known as kachauri, kachodi, and katchuri. The Susruta Samhita contains the first recorded recipe for kachori, which calls for a deep-fried pastry consisting of flour, ghee, and jaggery filled with spiced mung dal or ground meat. Another recipe for a dish called "Kacchari," a puffy deep-fried pastry loaded with lentils, appears in a 7th-century Jain manuscript.
Did you ever imagine having kachori with something other than aloo sabzi? Fateh ki kachori is a small shop located at Civil Lines near St. Xavier's school. This place has been popular for kachori for years and is one of the best joints in the capital. They sell two kachoris for ₹25 per plate. The unique thing about this humble eatery is that they don't plate kachori with aloo. It is served with chole. It is spicy and tangy. The crispiness of kachori, along with the tanginess of chole, release a burst of flavours to your taste buds. It's the perfect combo to go along with this Monsoon. This hot desi snack during Delhi rains is something that every Delhite craves. After all, what's rain without freshly fried kachori? Spiced up with onions and coriander, every bite of it narrates an emotion.
Ideally, here, the chickpea curry is served on two piping hot kachoris with some meethi chutney and onions. The best way to relish them is by using your hands. It is plated in a "leaf donna". Nothing's a better feeling than a spicy kachori bursting in your mouth like a dream. Don't forget the local adage: "Waise bhi North campus aaye aur Fateh ki kachori nahi khaye, toh kya khaak North Campus aaye?" (If you have visited North Campus and haven't eaten Fateh ki kachori, then your visit went in vain)