Khasta Kachori

India’s love affair with deep-fried food is eternal. From Pakoras, Samosas and Vadas to Murukku and Tikkas (and their countless variants), there is something sinfully gratifying about biting into a crunchy fritter that makes even the healthiest weak in the knees. Kachori, a puffy, flaky Indian bread stuffed with a spicy moong dal or potato mix is one of the most prevalent street snacks across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi and West Bengal.

Khasta Kachori or Raj Kachori is arguably the most popular type of this fried pastry and has a filling of dry potato curry instead of lentils. The hollow pastry houses a Chaat mix made with potatoes, raw onions, tomatoes, yoghurt, Sev Bhujiya and chopped coriander. The appetiser is named so because of the Khasta (flaky) nature of the outer covering. A splash of tamarind and green chutney completes the dish.

Khasta Kachori is the crown jewel of Delhi and Kolkata street food. The Kolkata-style Khasta Kochuri are much smaller in dimension and have a tongue-tinglingly spicy mix inside. Unlike its Delhi counterpart, Khasta Kachodis in Kolkata usually do not have the chutney or the yoghurt fillings.

There is much debate surrounding Kachori’s genesis, but it is likely that Kachoris were first made in Rajasthan’s Marwar region. Popular legend has it that Marwaris created these circular samosas to combat hunger pangs during long trade voyages. These bite-sized food items were a convenient alternative to elaborate meals since the pastry and the filling together made for a filling snack.

However, there is some evidence of Kachori being made much before they attained cult status. The ancient Sanskrit text Sushruta Samhita has a recipe for a puff pastry made with jaggery, flour and oil, and with a filling made of either minced meat or lentil mix. 7th Century Jain texts also mention a fried pastry with lentil filling. Its name, Kacchari, bears an uncanny phonetic resemblance to the word Kachori, signalling that the latter may have been an indispensable part of India’s culinary history even before Rajasthanis turned it into a global phenomenon.

But Kachoris are not just savoury items. Mawa Kachori, made from Mawa (dried milk), chopped dry fruits and dunked in sugar syrup, is an immensely popular sweet dish from Rajasthan.