Rajasthani Pyaaz Ki Kachori Flaky Onion Pastry Jodhpur

Method

1. 1

   Make the filling: Heat 2 tbsp oil. Add cumin seeds — crackle. Add asafoetida. Add finely chopped onions — cook 8 minutes until soft and golden. Add ginger paste and green chilli — stir 1 minute. Add soaked moong dal — stir 3 minutes. Turn low. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, amchur, crushed fennel and salt — stir 2 minutes. Cool completely. The filling must be fully dry — wet filling makes the pastry soggy.

2. 2

   Make the pastry: Combine maida, oil, salt. Rub oil into flour until crumbly. Add water gradually to form a very stiff dough — stiffer than puri dough. Knead 5 minutes. Rest 20 minutes. Divide into 8 balls.

3. 3

   Roll each ball into a thick disc: Roll into a disc about 8 cm wide — thicker than puri, about 4 to 5 mm.

4. 4

   Fill generously: Place a generous spoonful of filling in the centre. Bring edges up. Pleat and seal tightly at the top. Re-roll gently into a round — handling carefully so it does not burst.

5. 5

   Seal completely: Press the sealed point firmly. The kachori shell must be completely sealed — any gap will let oil in and make the filling greasy.

6. 6

   Heat oil for slow frying: Heat oil on low-medium. The kachori must be fried slowly — medium-high oil burns the outside before the thick pastry cooks through.

7. 7

   Fry on very low-medium heat: Add 3 to 4 kachori. Fry on low-medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until deep golden all over. The long slow fry is what makes the pastry flaky and cooked through.

8. 8

   Drain: Remove and drain on paper towels.

9. 9

   Serve hot: Serve immediately while very hot and crispy — the pastry shatters on first bite.

10. 10

    Serve with chutneys: Serve with green coriander chutney and tamarind-jaggery sweet chutney.

11. 11

    Note: Jodhpur Pyaaz Kachori is one of the most well-known street foods of Rajasthan — the kachori shops of Jodhpur's Sardar Market and Clock Tower area have been selling these since before independence. The specific onion-moong filling is Jodhpur's signature — different from the plain lentil kachori of other regions. Jodhpur kachori makers pride themselves on the thinness of the pastry and the crispy, flaky texture.