From time immemorial, crispy and deep-fried delicacies have been a part and parcel of Indian cuisine. Be it the crispy samosas and kachoris from the North or the vadas and murukkus from the South, the fanfare for these crunchy bites is widespread. Some of them are eaten as evening snacks with tea while others easily slide onto the breakfast table menu too. One such dish is the Khasta Kachori. The name of this delicious treat is derived from its crispy and crunchy texture which is referred to as khasta in Hindi. Although this kachori is widely available in several parts of North India like Delhi and Uttar Pradesh today, it is the Rajasthani Khasta Kachori that has a charm of its own.
Wonder why? Well, for one, kachori was born on Rajasthani land. Although there isn’t much evidence related to the origins of this crispy bite, it is believed that kachori was invented by the Marwaris. One plausible reason given for this claim is that the way several spices are blended together in filling up a kachori is something intrinsic to Marwari cuisine. Not only this, the use of thanda masalas like saunf (fennel) and dhaniya (coriander) in the kachori validate the claim since these cool spices suit the climatic conditions of the desert.
If you want to try making Khasta Kachori at home, here’s a quick recipe.