Lilva Kachori
Lilva Kachori is perfect party snack or a snack to have with tea. Back in India, every winter season, we would start seeing all winter vegetables and produce all over the markets. One of them is Lilva or Lili Tuver (Lili- ‘Green’ and Tuver – pigeon peas)
The filling is so delicious. My mom would make lilva kachori several times during the season pigeon peas are freshly available. They are shaped in two different ways, either and easily available round shape, shaped like a dumpling. Another, way my mom would shape it was empanada style- we call ‘Ghughra’. It is usually deep fried. I have tried baked version. However, today I am sharing fried version.
Some people also add potatoes to the filling, but I have used only two types peas. I have occasionally used fresh green chickpeas too. My mom would also add fresh green garlic usually available during winter season. That taste so amazing.
As Diwali is coming up, we know we will need snacks and one such snack would be this Lilva Kachori. If you can find fresh tuver aka pigeon peas, then use that or else use frozen tuver. Either way it will work because we will be grinding it.
The filling should have slight sweetness from the fresh peas, sugar, and slightest heat from green chilies and garam masala. Lemon juice adds slight tangy taste. It literally has taste of all flavors.
Let’s see how it made-
There are two parts to the recipe:
- Dough – The dough should be slightly stiff and flaky. Dough can also be prepared in a food processor.
- Filling – You grind the peas using a food processor with other ingredients and saute it for few minutes. The best part of filling is it stays well if you make it in advance to break down the steps.
- It also freezes well once you have filled them.
If you do not want to make the dough, which is easy to prepare. You can also use frozen puff pastry. Once I had some extra filling left and had to take a flight. I used puff pastry sheets and made them into little square pies. Baked them and packed them for a in flight snack. I am so glad I did that. You can easily eat them rolled up in paper napkin for such situations.
Lilva Kachori
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups Flour You can use either All purpose flour or whole wheat, or mix of both
- 3-4 tablespoons Ghee/Cold Unsalted butter
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/3 cup ice cold water
Filling
- 1 cup Fresh/frozen green pigeon peas
- 1 cup Fresh/frozen Peas
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 Cloves of garlic
- 2 tsp Green chili paste
- 1 tsp Ginger paste
- 2 tbsp Cashew nuts
- 2 tbsp Sultanas
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp Garam Masala use to your preference
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup freshly Grated coconut
- 2 tbsp Pomegranate Seeds (optional)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- Oil for frying
Instructions
Dough
- Take the all the ingredients for the dough, and pulse it in breaks in a food processor to mix the ghee or butter until you see pea sized crumbles. If you are making it by hand, make sure to rub the flour and ghee with hands until same pea-sized crumbs form. Just the way we do for making pie crust. Gradually add water and try to from a stiff dough. Dough should not be very soft or very stiff, that it becomes difficult to roll out. You might need more or less water. Let it rest at room temperature until you make the filling.
Filling
- Take the pigeon peas, green peas and pulse it coarsely in your food processor. Leave it coarse. Do not overdo it.
- Heat a pan on medium add oil, on medium heat, as it heats up, add cumin seeds, let them splutter, add garlic, green chili, ginger paste followed by cashews, sultanas, fennel and sesame seeds, stir every once a while and in few seconds add the spices and salt , sugar. Add in the peas mixture. Mix everything well.
- Let the mixture get cooked for about 5 to 7 minutes and saute it well. In few minutes the mixture will be cooked, basically the rawness should go away. Turn off the heat and add in the lemon juice, stir in shredded coconut, pomegranate seeds and cilantro. Let it cool down.
Assembly/ Frying
- Divide the dough into equal parts. Roll out the dough into 5-6-inch circles and approximately 1/2 inch thick. You can roll out big circle and then using a round cutter, cut out small circles. (See notes)
- Spoon the filling about 1 tbsp on each of these circles, leaving the sides open for folding and fold it in half moon/circle and press the edges to seal with your fingers or using a fork. If you want to crimp the edges with fingers, do it. Make sure they are sealed properly.
- Once all are folded and shaped. Fry them.
- Heat some oil to fry. Once the oil reaches the frying temperature around 350F. Drop them one by one, carefully and fry them on both sides until they are light brownish in color. Remove them on absorbent paper.
- Serve them hot/warm with cilantro, tamarind or mango chutney with side of green chilies.
Notes
- Do not knead the dough too much. Dough should be stiff not soft. Stiff enough that you can roll it out.
- You can roll out into individual small circles or roll a big circle of dough and cut smaller circles with a round cutter. I used a pasta maker to roll out the dough, used small round cutter to cut out circles and so that each one of them come out same in size.
- You can freeze the filled kachoris into the freezer in an airtight container or a zip lock bag for later use. Just thaw them for 10 minutes and fry them.
- You can adjust the spices according to your preference.
- You can also use fresh green chickpeas.
- If you are not making these with fresh pigeon peas, then frozen is available at Indian grocery stores.
XOXO, Devangi