Who wants Kachorie?

Kachorie, Trini-Indian Fried Street Food

So you stop in Debe for doubles but then the kachorie (or kachowrie) winking at you . It saying "Buy meh nah". Truth be told I am not a usual fan of kachorie as the ones that you normally get are huge for one and they need more flavor. They just seem to have salt and that's about it.

These are packed with flavor and so delicious. They smelt like fried fish when they were done and were perfect dipped into a really sweet and hot tamarind chutney. I added lots of garlic and onion and plenty bandania (cilantro) but you could substitute any green seasoning you like. They were sooo good I could have eaten it without the chutney. I also added some curry powder and lots of geera. In some ways it was just like making a falafel.

The first time I had a falafel, I really thought it was a better tasting kachorie. It had the same texture and the same crunchy exterior. Falafels are made with chick peas or as we say in Trinidad, channa.

So do give my recipe a try and let me know what you think.


 

Recipe

Cuisine:        Trinidadian Indian
Good for:      Lunch, Dinner, Snack
Category:      Side Dish, Protein

Time:            8 hour Soaking time,  1 hour prep and cooking time.

Serves:         Makes 26 kachorie of 2 in" diameter
Skill:              Medium
Suitable:        Vegetarian, vegan
Heat:             Mild

 

Ingredients

1 lb         dried slit peas or dhal

1 head    garlic rough chopped
½ tsp      ginger powder 
½-¼ tsp  grind hot congo pepper (to taste)
1             large onion rough chopped
1½ tb      curry powder
1 tsp       whole cumin (geera)
1 tsp       grind cumin (geera)
¼ tsp      cayenne pepper powder
7             leaves bandania (chadon beni or cilantro)
2 tb         flour
Salt         to taste



Procedure

1. Pick through the dried split (dhal) for stones. This is important. You definitely do not want to be biting on a stone while eating.
2. Wash split peas (dhal) and let soak in water overnight. You cannot skip this step as the split peas will be too hard.
3. After the split peas or dhal have soaked, drain, rinse and drain again thoroughly. 
4. Put the drained split peas in a food processor with the rough chopped garlic, onion, hot pepper and bandania and pulse till it reduces to small almost 1mm size pieces. Try to ensure that all the split peas have been processed as they need to be small to cook properly.
5. Heat a cast iron frying pan and add 1½ in of vegetable oil. Leave on medium heat. 
6. Pour the processed split peas into a bowl and add the curry powder, cayenne, ginger, cumin (geera) seeds and grind cumin (geera), salt and flour.
7. Use your hands to combine properly.
8. Take a handful of the above mixture and compress with the palms of your hands to make a 2" flat disk of about an inch in thickness.
9. Test the oil with a tiny bit of the mixture. If it bubbles the oil is ready.
10. Fry your first kachorie until its brown of both sides. When it is done taste to check the seasoning and adjust the seasoning of the mixture before forming more kachorie.
11. Fry in batches and do not overcrowd the pan.
12. If the kachowrie browns too fast, lower the heat. The dhal (slit peas) needs time to cook.
13. When done enjoy on its own or with your favourite chutney, like this Coconut Chutney.

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