Anyone who has lived in Kolkata for a while will know about this quite popular weekend breakfast dish - Club Kachori. This dish is DH's favourite and whenever he is in Kolkata, he doesn't miss to indulge gorging on it for breakfast at a popular snack shop in the locality.
For the uninitiated, the name of this dish can be a little misleading. The kachoris here are not like the khasta kachori which are well known all over India; they are more like bite size puri. But, there is a difference. Into the dough of these kachoris, goes coarsely urad dal paste, suji, little chilli and ginger paste and some hing which gives it its characteristic taste
These kachoris as deep fried and are served with a spicy potato curry. In some places, pumpkin is also added to the curry. Panchporan - a Bengali whole spice mix added in this curry, makes it taste a little different from the regular potato curry.
Typically, maida is used to make the kachoris, but at home, I use atta (chapati flour) to make them.
Without much ado, let's check out how to prepare Club Kachori Kolkata style.
This is the first recipe I am posting under Weekend Breakfast Theme of BM#79
Club Kachori
For the Kachori/Puri
2 cups atta
¼ cup suji/semolina
2 tbsp oil
¼ cup urad dal, washed and soaked in water for at least an hour
¼ tsp hing/asafetida
1 tsp chili paste
1 tsp ginger paste
For the Potato Curry:
6 medium size potato, boiled, peeled and chopped
2 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and pureed
2 cloves of garlic, grated
1 green chili, chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp hing
½ tsp each of sauf, methi seeds, ajwain, kaloni and rai (panchporan)
1 red chili
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder, or to taste
2 tsp coriander powder
Salt to taste
½ tsp amchur
½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp kasuri methi
Handful of coriander leaves
Process:
1. Drain the soaked urad dal and grind coarsely in a grinder. In a mixing bowl, add the coarsely ground urad dal paste, atta, suji, oil, hing, salt, chili and ginger and using water as need, knead a firm dough. Cover it and set it aside.
2. To make the potato curry heat oil in a pan, add hing, jeera, red chili, green chilli, ginger and garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Now add sauf, methi seeds, ajwain, kaloji and rai and stir so that they start crackling. Now add the tomato puree. Cook for about a minute and then add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, and coriander powder. Cook for a couple of minutes. When you see oil leaving its side, add the potatoes. Stir. Now add 1 cup of water. Stir and bring it to a boil.
3. When it comes to a boil, the gravy will also start thickening, add garam masala, amchur and crushed kasuri methi and stir. If needed add little more water, cover and bring to a boil.
4. Check for spices, adjust if needed. When done, add chopped coriander leaves and take it off the flame.
5. In order to make the kachori/puri, divide the dough into small balls (little bigger than marbles). These kachoris are about 2 inches in diameter.
6. Roll them into thick rounds (little thicker than puri). Thin ones do not puff well.
7. Heat oil in a Kadhai and when the oil is heated enough, fry them 2-3 at a time (depending on the size of your Kadhai) on high heat. When it is brown on one, flip and fry the other side for a few seconds. Drain them on paper towel. Repeat the process till you have used all the dough.
8. Serve the potato curry with these hot kachori/puri along with a dollop of achar, sliced onion and some tomato and cucumber slices for a filling weekend breakfast/ brunch.
Notes:
1. Do not roll them too thin or too big, else they will not puff well.
2. Always fry these kachoris on a high heat, it helps them in puffing.
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