Baked Whole wheat Moong Dal and Indian Gooseberry Kachori Pockets

By Apurvi Bansal

This Recipe came into being when I wanted to have some yellow lentil (moong dal) Kachoris but the problem was I didn't want fried so, I made these Kachoris in Pocket shape and baked them till they were light golden brown in colour yet preserving the classic Flakiness and crunch of the Kachoris.

Since, Indian Gooseberry (Amla) were in the season and goes really well with other flavour I decided to use them instead of dry mando powder thus, increasing its Vitamin C content along with other health benefits.

By Baking I have tried to make them healthier along with replacing the traditionally used regular Refined flour with Whole wheat flour.

Traditional method of making the yellow lentil filling is different from what I am sharing with you though this steps steps makes the process much faster yet preserving the ultimate taste.

Important Points: 

1. You can replace the whole wheat flour with All purpose Flour if you want a lighter texture.

2. Do not over knead the dough. Before going on withe the kneading it is important that you coat your flour with fat content in this case I am using Ghee (clarified butter) but you can use Flavourless Oil for the same, rub the flour well with ghee until it resembles sand like texture this is an important step for you to have flaky Kachoris Pockets.

3. You can making the Yellow lentil and Indian Gooseberry filling before hand and keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before filling them in Kachoris Pocket and Baking them.

4. If you want you can even Fry these Kachori Pockets.

Ingredients:

70gm, 1/3Cup, 2.5Oz Yellow Lentil (Moong Dal)

152gm, 1-1/4Cup, 5.40Oz Whole Wheat Flour 

1/2tsp Salt

1/2tsp Carrom Seed (Ajwain)

42gm, 3tbsp, 1.5Oz Melted Ghee or Oil

50ml, 1/4Cup, 1.7Oz Water

1tbsp Oil

1/4tsp Asafoetida

1/2tsp Cumin Seed

1/2tsp Red Chilli Powder

1-1/2tsp Coriander Powder

Salt to taste

30gm Indian Gooseberry (Amla)

9gm, 1tbsp Roasted Gram Flour (Besan)

40-50ml, 1/4Cup, 1.5Oz Water 

1/4tsp Roasted Cumin Powder

Bake in a preheated oven for heated Oven at 160C for 30-35 minutes.

Method

 Prepare the Yellow Lentil (Moong Dal)

• Wash, towel-dry, and dry roast moong dal until fragrant. Let it cool, then grind into a fine powder.
• Make the Dough
• Mix whole wheat flour, salt, ajwain, and melted ghee/oil until crumbly.
• Gradually add cold water to form a dough. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes

Prepare the Stuffing

• Heat oil in a pan, add hing, cumin seeds, red chili powder, and coriander powder.
• Stir in ground lentils, salt, and chopped amla.
• Add roasted gram flour and water to form a crumbly filling. Let cool.

Roll & Shape the Kachoris

• Roll the dough into a thin sheet and cut into rectangles.
• Place filling on one piece, poke the top sheet, brush edges with water, seal, and trim.
• Bake
• Arrange on a parchment-lined tray and bake at 160°C for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy these crispy, flaky, and flavorful baked kachoris! 😊