Qeema Kachori

Kachori is a crispy and flaky tea time snack that is stuffed with spiced fillings. Meats (chicken ir beaaf) as well as vegetable stuffed Kachoris are very popular food item in Pakistan, especially during Ramadan. For now I have made them with mined meat stuffing, you can always try any other stuffing you like…

Ingredients:

For Dough:

½ kg plain flour/maida

½ tsp salt

6-7 tbsp oil/ghee (100 gm)

Water (as required)

For Filling

350-400 gm minced meat

2tbsp oil

1 medium onion (sliced)

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

½ tsp salt (or less)

1 & 1/2 tsp red chili powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp garam masala powder

½ tsp dhania powder

½ tsp dry fenugreek/qasoori methi

2-3 green chilies (chopped)

2 tbsp fresh coriander (chopped)

Method:

1) Take a pan and add minced meat along with 1 & ½ cups of water, onions, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder and cumin seeds, let it cook on low medium flames, for at least 30 or till water almost dries out.

2) Next add in 2 tbsp of oil, garam masala powder, dhania powder, qasoori methi, green chilies and chopped fresh coriander, mix every thing together, and fry the minced meat (make sure to break any lumps) till all the water dries out. Turn of f the flame and let it cool down completely.  

3) For dough, combine flour and salt in a bowl, add in the ghee and mix it well till it becomes crumbly, then start adding water a little at a time and knead it well till you have a soft dough  transfer the dough to a bowl and corer with a damp cloth, keep aside for 30 minutes.

4) Make a paste by mixing together 2 tbsp of plain flour and 4 tbsp ghee. And keep aside.

5) Divide the dough in 9-10 equal sized balls and let them rest for some time. Then roll them out in to circles ( 7-8 inches in diameter)  , its preferable to flatten out the rolled balls with help of your hand, that’s how I did it, if you are not able to do so, flatten them with the help of a rolling pin, don’t press them do hard.

6) Now apply the paste on all the rolled out circles. Sprinkle some plain flour on each rolled out circle as well. Fold the top third of the rolled out circle, Fold the bottom third of the circle so the edges of the folded circle touch. Again apply some paste over the folded side, sprinkle some plain flour and fold from the sides, once from the right and once from the left, making it a small square. Repeat the same process with all the rolled out circles, let them rest for some time.

7) For stuffing, flatten out each square slightly, with the help of your hand, add one tbsp of minced meat filling in the center, bring the edges together to form a ball (first bring the 4 corners together, then twist them slightly. Then bring the remaining open edges together and twist them twice to lock the kachori, Flatten slightly with then help of your hands.

8) Deep fry kachoris on low heat until they turn golden brown and crisp. They will sink to bottom once you add them to oil, but once they get cooked from inside they will rise to top. Turn them over after 2-3 minutes. (Don’t over crowd the karahi while frying), serve with chutney of your choice.

Note:  If you find the process of rolling and folding out the balls hard, then skip that part and  simply press the ball slightly with your hand, put a spoon full of filling in the center, bring the edges together to seal the kachori, Flatten slightly with then help of your hands.