Jaipur Pink City Pyaaz Kachori Special Variant

Ingredients

• For the pastry: 2 cups maida, 5 tbsp oil, a pinch of salt, water — medium-firm dough
• For the Jaipur onion filling:
• 4 large onions — very finely chopped
• 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp fennel seeds — coarsely crushed (the Jaipur touch)
• 1 tsp coriander seeds — coarsely crushed
• 1/2 tsp ajwain, 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp amchur
• 1 tsp jaggery — grated (a tiny touch of sweetness in the Jaipur version)
• salt
• oil for deep frying

Method

1. Make the onion filling: Heat 2 tbsp oil. Add crushed fennel and coriander seeds, ajwain and asafoetida — crackle. Add very finely chopped onions. Cook on medium heat stirring frequently for 10 to 12 minutes until the onions are completely soft and all moisture has evaporated. The filling must be completely dry.
2. Add spices: Add red chilli powder, turmeric, amchur, jaggery and salt. Stir 2 minutes. Cool completely.
3. Make pastry dough: Rub oil into maida until crumbly. Add water to form a medium-firm dough. Rest 20 minutes.
4. Divide into 12 balls.
5. Stuff: Flatten each ball. Place onion filling in centre. Gather edges and seal firmly.
6. Shape into round flat kachori: Gently flatten each stuffed ball into a thick round about 7 cm wide.
7. Heat oil on medium-low: Kachori frying must be slow — medium-low heat ensures the inside cooks without burning the outside.
8. Fry slowly: Fry 6 to 8 minutes per side until puffed and deep golden-brown. The kachori should sound hollow when tapped.
9. Drain.
10. Serve: Serve with a mint-coriander chutney and the Jaipur-style slightly sweet tamarind chutney.
11. Note: The Pyaaz Kachori of Jaipur is considered the finest in Rajasthan by many — the Jaipur variation uses a specific combination of fennel and coriander seeds in the filling alongside the standard spices. Rawat Misthan Bhandar on Station Road in Jaipur has been making pyaaz kachori for over 80 years and the shop opens at 5 am to meet the morning breakfast demand. The slightly sweet touch of jaggery in the Jaipur filling balances the sourness of amchur — a signature of Jaipur's slightly sweeter palate compared to Jodhpur.