A kachori is another extremely popular breakfast dish or snack of North India. Having said that, it also has a fanbase spread throughout the rest of India as well. Out of all, a Dal Kachori is one of the most famous ones and is also a street food at many places. This is my recipe of an Urad Dal Kachori, with a scrumptious stuffing of spiced ground black gram or urad dal. I’m quite sure, once you try it, you’re going to get addicted to it.
This recipe of urad dal kachori is not like the flaky Khasta kachori. it is not even soft like poori. It has both softness and some crispness and flakiness in it. Urad dal kachori are often served with aloo sabzi in North Indian states like Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. I have myself had these on occasions during our trip in Banaras.
These urad dal kachori are so good, that you can even have them plain or with a mango pickle or fresh curd. Since both kachori and aloo sabzi is loved at my place, I did prepare Mathura ke dubki wale aloo to go with the kachori.
Preparing the kachori takes time. so you can first prepare the aloo curry and then proceed with preparing the kachori. You will need to soak urad dal overnight or for 3 to 4 hours.
In the recipe the urad dal is coarsely ground, sauteed and then stuffed in the kachori. For a firmer and flakier kachori, you can reduce the amount of water while kneading and make a firm dough.
Though mostly all purpose flour is used for making kachori, I have used both whole wheat flour and all purpose flour. You can also prepare only with whole wheat flour.
Urad dal kachori is heavy and filling. So these are not meant to be made on regular days. Thus apt for festive occasions or for parties.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make Urad Dal ki Kachori
Preparing dough
1. In a mixing bowl or pan take 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
2. Mix very well with a spoon or wired whisk.
3. Then add 3 tablespoons of ghee. Instead of ghee you can also add 3 tablespoons of oil.
4. Rub the fat in the flours with your fingertips and mix very well. You should get a bread crumb like texture in the flour. When you hold a portion of the mixture in your palm, it should not fall apart and break, but hold itself.
5. Then add water in parts.
6. Begin to knead.
7. Add enough water to make a smooth soft dough. I added ⅓ cup of water. You can add less or more depending on the quality of flours. Cover with a moist cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Preparing Urad Dal Kachori Filling
1. Rinse ½ cup urad dal a couple of times in fresh water. Then soak the dal in enough water in a bowl for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Then drain all the water.
2. Add the urad dal in a grinder or blender.
2. Without adding no water or adding very less water, grind or blend to a semi fine or a coarse paste. Do not make a fine paste. I added 3 tablespoons of water while grinding. Remove the paste from the jar and set aside.
Scrape off the sides with a spatula or a spoon and it to the bowl containing urad dal paste. The paste is slightly slimy and sticky. So it is better you remove it aside first in a separate plate or bowl.
3. Heat ½ tablespoon ghee in a pan. Add ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds and let them sizzle on low heat.
4. Then add 1 teaspoon chopped ginger and 1 teaspoon chopped green chilli.
5. Saute for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger goes away on low heat.
6. Keep the heat to a low or you can switch off the heat. Add the following ground spices:
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
7. Also add ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds or fennel powder.
8. Stir and mix very well.
9. Then add the urad dal paste.
10. On a low heat first mix and then begin to saute the urad dal paste. You do need to apply some pressure from your hands while mixing.
11. Add salt as per taste.
12. Mix again and with frequent stirring cook the urad dal paste till it thickens and dries a bit.
13. The consistency of the paste should not be liquidy but dry and like a dough. allow the paste to cool.
14. Then make small balls from the urad dal mixture.
Making Urad Dal Kachori
1. Also make the same number of balls from the dough.
2. Spread some oil on the dough ball and roll to a round circle of about 5 to 6 inches in width.
3. Flatten the stuffing and then place it on the dough circle.
4. Pleat and then join the edges bringing them to the center.
5. Press the top. Be careful to seal the edges properly.
6. Again roll into a circle of 5 to 6 inches width. Prepare all kachoris this way. Keep them in a large plate and cover with a moist kitchen cloth.
Frying Urad Dal Kachori
7. Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai. You can use any neutral flavored oil.
8. Check the oil temperature by adding a tiny piece of dough in it. If it comes steadily and gradually on top, the oil is medium hot and ready for the kachoris to be fried.
9. Gently place the kachoris in the hot oil. Fry at a low-medium or medium heat.
10. Gently nudge with a slotted spoon, so that they start puffing up.
11. When one side is golden and the oil has stopped spluttering, turn over and fry the other side.
12. Fry till the second side is also golden and the oil has stopped sizzling. Some of the kachori will puff up and some won’t. But its fine as they still taste good.
13. This one got extra browned as I was taking the pics. Carefully remove with a slotted spoon draining as much oil as possible in the kadai.
14. Place them on kitchen paper towels to absorb extra oil. Fry all the kachori this way and regulate the heat as needed.
15. Serve urad dal kachori hot with rasedar aloo or dubki wale aloo or with mango pickle.
More snacks recipes
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Urad Dal Kachori
Urad dal kachori are soft as well as crisp stuffed kachori from the Uttar Pradesh cuisine. Kachori are stuffed with a spiced urad dal paste.
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr
for urad dal kachori cover
for urad dal kachori filling
other ingredients
making dough
In a mixing bowl or pan take 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
Mix very well with a spoon or wired whisk.
Then add 3 tablespoons ghee. You can also add 3 tablespoons oil.
Rub the fat in the flours with your fingertips and mix very well.
You should get a bread crumb like texture in the flour. When you hold a portion of the mixture in your palm, it should not fall apart and break, but hold itself.
Then add water in parts. begin to knead.
Add enough water to make a smooth soft dough. I added ⅓ cup water. You can add less or more depending on the quality of flours. Cover with a moist cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.
making urad dal filling for kachori
Rinse a couple of times and then soak ½ cup urad dal in enough water for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Then drain all the water.
Add the urad dal in a grinder jar. Without adding no water or adding very less water, grind to a semi fine or a coarse paste. Do not make a fine paste. I added 3 tablespoons water while grinding. Keep the paste aside.
Heat ½ tablespoon ghee in a pan. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
Then add 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon chopped green chilli.
Saute till the raw aroma of ginger goes away.
Keep the flame to a low or you can switch off the flame. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder and ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds or fennel powder and a pinch of asafoetida (hing).
Mix very well. Then add the urad dal paste.
On a low flame first mix and then begin to saute the urad dal paste. You do need to apply some pressure from your hands while mixing.
Add salt as per taste.
Mix again and with frequent stirring cook the urad dal paste till it thickens and dries a bit.
The consistency of the paste should not be liquidy but dry and like a dough.
Allow the paste to cool.
making urad dal kachori
Then make small balls from the urad dal mixture.
Also make the same number of balls from the dough.
Spread some oil on the dough ball and roll to a round circle of about 5 to 6 inches in width.
Flatten the stuffing and then place it on the dough circle.
Pleat and then join the edges bringing them to the center.
Press the top. Be careful to seal the edges properly.
Again roll into a circle of 5 to 6 inches width. Prepare all kachori this way. Keep them in a large plate and cover with a moist kitchen cloth.
frying urad dal kachori
Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai.
Check the oil temperature by adding a tiny piece of dough in it. If it comes steadily and gradually on top, the oil is medium hot and ready for the kachori to be fried.
Gently place them in the hot oil. Fry at a low-medium or medium flame.
Gently nudge with a slotted spoon, so that they start puffing up.
When one side is golden and the oil has stopped spluttering, turn over and fry the other side.
Fry till the second side is also golden and the oil has stopped sizzling. Some of the kachori will puff up and some won’t. But its fine as they still taste good.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place them on kitchen paper towels. Fry all the kachori this way.
Serve urad dal kachori hot with rasedar aloo or dubki wale aloo.
- Recipe can be doubled.
- You can also just use whole wheat flour. If using whole wheat flour, then some more water may be required while kneading the dough.
- Add less or more spice powders as per your taste preferences.
- For a firmer and flakier kachoris, you can reduce the amount of water while kneading and make a firm dough.
This Urad Dal Kachori post from the archives first published in November 2016 has been republished and updated on December 2022.
Source: Dassana’s Veg Recipes
