Recipe for Himachali Khasta Kachori from Black Lentils

If you are looking for something crispy and tasty to have with your evening tea, you can try this appetizing snack made from rice flour. It is prepared using semolina, onion, and various spices, and the cooking process takes very little time.

If you are tired of traditional snacks like kachori, pakora, or bhajiya for evening tea and want to try something new, this crispy rice flour snack will be an excellent choice. It does not require many ingredients, and the dough is prepared in just a few minutes. This snack, made from rice flour, semolina, onion, green pepper, and spices, turns out crispy on the outside and tender inside.

This snack can be served as a snack with evening tea. If you prefer to cook it with less oil, it can be fried in a pan, like chole. The important thing is that the recipe does not use granular pea protein (besan) or a large amount of other dough. Below is a simple recipe for this crispy rice flour snack.

Ingredients for Crispy Snack from Rice Flour and Semolina

To start, you will need: 4 tablespoons of yogurt, 2 tablespoons of semolina, 1/2 cup of rice flour, 2 tablespoons of wheat flour. Also needed: 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh coriander; 4-5 curry leaves, chopped; 1 inch of grated ginger; 2-3 cloves of grated garlic; 1 finely chopped green pepper; 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes; 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon of ajwain; 1/2 teaspoon of cumin; 1 teaspoon of white sesame seeds; a pinch of baking soda and salt to taste. Finally, you will need 1/2 cup of water and 3 tablespoons of oil.

How to Prepare Crispy Snack from Rice Flour and Semolina?

First, mix the yogurt and semolina in a bowl, stirring well. Leave the mixture for 1-2 minutes so that the semolina swells well. Then add the finely chopped onion, fresh coriander, curry leaves, grated ginger, and garlic. After that, stir in the green pepper, chili flakes, ground black pepper, ajwain, cumin, and salt, mixing all components well.

Next, add 1/2 cup of rice flour and 2 tablespoons of wheat flour. You can replace the wheat flour with whole wheat flour. Gradually add water while constantly stirring until a thick batter is formed. It is important to ensure that the batter does not become too runny, as the onion also releases moisture, so water should be added as needed.

Add the white sesame seeds and a pinch of baking soda to the batter, stirring gently. It is recommended to start preparing the snack immediately after kneading the dough, rather than storing it beforehand.

Heat a frying pan or cast iron cookware and add about 3 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium. Using a spoon, place small portions of the batter onto the pan, ensuring they are not too large. Place as much batter as can easily be cooked at one time.

Cook the snack over medium heat for about 1 minute until the bottom side becomes light golden and the batter sets. Then, add a little hot oil on top and carefully flip it over. Fry for another 2 minutes on the other side until it is evenly golden and crispy. After that, remove the snack from the pan.

Repeat the process with the remaining batter. Serve it hot with green chutney or tomato ketchup. If you want to prepare it with less oil, it can be fried in a pan, like chole.

When people hear about Pav Bhaji, they recall the hot dishes and buns fried in oil that are served on the streets of Mumbai. Although it is a famous dish of Maharashtra, it is popular not only in Mumbai but also in Delhi, UP, and other regions of the country.

Nevertheless, complaints often arise about homemade Pav Bhaji because it does not possess the same aroma and taste as in commercial establishments. One reason for this may be the spices used. Renowned chef Vikas Khanna has shared a method for preparing Pav Bhaji masala, which is easy to make at home, and adding this mixture significantly improves the taste and aroma of the dish.

Pav Bhaji Masala Powder Recipe:

To create Pav Bhaji masala, you first need to remove the seeds and stems from dried red chilies. Then, lightly fry them on a hot pan, taking care not to overcook or let them burn, as burnt chili will give the spices a bitter taste.

In a second tray, roast whole spices: cumin, cloves, coriander seeds, cardamom, black cardamom, and cinnamon over low heat until they release their aroma. After this, let the roasted whole spices and dried red chilies cool slightly. Place them in a food processor along with turmeric, amchur powder, black pepper, red chili powder, and black salt.

Grind all ingredients thoroughly into a fine powder; if a coarser grind is preferred, you can avoid grinding them too finely.

How to Use It in the Dish?

When making Pav Bhaji at home, after mashing the vegetables, you need to add this spice mix in the required amount and mix well. Heating the spices together with the Pav Bhaji for some time allows all aromas and flavors to fully combine. Thus, the freshly prepared spice mix can give your Pav Bhaji a richer and more pungent taste.