Koraishutir Kochuri: Peas Kachori

This was a staple winter delicacy at my home. When I was growing up peas would only be available during the winter months in Kolkata. Now that times have changed peas and various other vegetables are available in the frozen form all year round in Kolkata (try Spencer's retail). With Koraishutir Kochuri, I have two very distinctive memories attached. One was that I always had the daunting task of de-shelling the peas while basking in the warm winter afternoon sun with my Ma. The other being the time I was diagnosed with jaundice and could not eat fried stuff... so my Ma had just roasted mine till it puffed up without any oil. It was a sad, sad day! 

Ingredients for the filling:

• Peas - 1 Cup, shelled (I used frozen which I thawed and drained before using)
• Green Chili - 1
• Nigella Seeds/Kalonji/Kalo Jeera - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger paste - 1 tsp
• Cumin paste - 1/2 tsp (I grind cumin seeds in my coffee grinder and added few drops of water to make a paste)
• Bhaja Moshla - 1/2 tsp - just dry roast 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds, 1/2 inch cinnamon stick, 2 pods of green cardamom, 2 cloves and grind to a fine powder. 
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - enough for frying

Ingredients for the dough:

• All Purpose Flour - 1 Cup
• Water - 1/2 Cup (more or less)
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Using a mixer-grinder make a smooth paste of green peas and green chili - try not to use water. Heat oil in a pan and temper it with ginger and cumin paste. Add the green peas paste, salt and sugar to it and cook till all the raw smell is gone. Take it off the heat and sprinkle the nigella/kalonji seeds and stir to mix well. Set aside. 

In a bowl mix together the flour, salt and oil. Add enough water to knead into a smooth dough. Pinch out small round balls of dough and brush with little oil. Now make small dents in the balls with your fingers, add about 1 tsp of filling and pinch it close. Using a rolling pin, roll out the balls into 3 inch rounds on a oiled surface. 

In a wok, add enough oil for frying. Once it is hot enough fry the Kachoris one by one. One way to ensure that the temperature of the oil is right, drop a tiny bit of dough and it should come right back to the surface and not sink. 

At our home, we eat 'Koraishutir Kochuri' with Aloo'r Dom (Bengali version of Dum Aloo).