Vegan Indian Spicy Pea Croquettes Kachori

Vegan Indian Spicy Pea Croquettes Kachori

These sweet and spicy, deep-fried, stuffed dough bites are commonly eaten as a snack in Indian cuisine and are bursting with flavor.

142 Likes
Serves: 12
Print

These flaky, deep-fried puffed pastry bites from the From Gujarat with Love: 100 Authentic Indian Recipes cookbook are filled with the delicious flavors of buttery coconut, fiery chilies, zesty lime, and herby cilantro. 

What you need:

For the filling: 
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
3 green chilies, stems removed 
3½ cups peas 
1 tablespoon oil, plus 3 cups oil, for deep frying 
¼ teaspoon asafoetida (or hing)
3 tablespoons raisins 
3 tablespoons cashews, roughly chopped 
2 tablespoons shredded coconut 
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
¾ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lime juice 
1½ teaspoons sugar 

For the dough:
1½ cups flour 
3 tablespoons oil
6 tablespoons warm water 
Chutney, to serve 

What you do:

  1. For the filling, in a food processor, blend ginger and chilies for 1 minute. Add peas and pulse for 15 to 20 seconds until coarse. 
  2. In a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil. Add asafoetida and pea mixture and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add raisins, cashews, coconut, cilantro, garam masala, and salt and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in lime juice and sugar and mix well. Remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly. Shape into 12 balls, approximately 1½-inch in diameter and set aside. 
  3. For the dough, in a bowl, combine flour and oil. Mix well and add warm water. Knead for 2 minutes until dough is smooth and soft. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a disc, about 4 inches in diameter. 
  4. In center of each dough disc, place one filling ball. Bring sides of dough together and pinch top to seal. Trim off any excess dough from pinched end. 
  5. In a deep saucepan over medium heat, warm oil for frying. In batches, place a few kachori at a time and deep fry for 2 minutes, using a slotted spoon to move around, until golden all over. Using a metal slotted spoon, transfer to a tray lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining kachori, then serve hot with chutney.
For more plant-based recipes like this, read:

Here at VegNews, we live and breathe the vegan lifestyle, and only recommend products we feel make our lives amazing. Occasionally, articles may include shopping links where we might earn a small commission. In no way does this effect the editorial integrity of VegNews.