Puffed Pastry

Mawa Kachori is an exotic dessert. This is a delicacy from state of Rajasthan. Rajasthan is known for their rich food and culture. Pastry filled with aromatic mixture of mawa and nuts makes a very festive dessert.

This recipe will make 18 Kachories.

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1cup all-purpose flour (maida, plain flour)
• 2 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee)
• Approx. 1/2 cup of lukewarm water as needed

Filling

• 1/2 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
• 1 cup milk powder
• 1/4 cup mixed nuts (almonds, pistachios coarsely ground)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed cardamom
• 3 tablespoon sugar

Note: If you are using mawa use ¾ cup of mawa instead cream and powder

Oil to fry

Syrup

• 1cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed cardamom
• Few strands of saffron

Method

Crust

1. Mix flour, and clarified butter in a bowl, making firm soft adding water slowly as needed. Knead the dough until the dough becomes soft and pliable.
2. Set the dough aside and cover it with a damp cloth. Let the dough sit for at least ten minutes.

Syrup

Boil the sugar and water on medium heat, as sugar comes to boil add saffron, and cardamom on medium heat until syrup is about one thread or 220 degrees (Fahrenheit) on a candy thermometer. Set aside.

Filling

1. Mix the cream and milk powder in a frying pan. Cook on medium heat until it becomes consistency of soft dough, this should take about 3-4 minutes. Stir continuously so the mixture does not burn on the bottom of the pan. This mixture is known mava.
2. Next add nuts mixture, sugar, and cardamom powder to mawa. Mix together well and cook for about 2 more minutes until mixture is consistency of soft dough. Keep aside.
3. After cooling, the mixture will become drier but still should be lightly moist.

Making Kachories

1. Knead the dough for a minute.
2. Divide the dough into about 18 equal parts.
3. Roll each ball into about 2-inch diameter.
4. Take one of the rolled dough in your palm and place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Pull the edges of the dough to wrap the filling. Proceed to make all 30 balls.
5. Let the filled balls sit for 3 to 4 minutes before pressing.
6. In the frying pan heat the oil on medium high, frying pan should have about 1-1/2 inches of oil.
7. Set the filled balls on a clean and dry surface with the seam facing up. Using the base of your palm, slowly flatten them into about 3 inches circle.
8. To check if oil is ready put a little piece of dough in the oil. It should sizzle, and come up slowly.
9. Slowly drop the Kachories in the oil, do not over crowd the kachories in frying pan, fry them on medium heat.
10.  After they are puff, slowly turn them over.
11. It will take about 5-6 minutes to fry. Fry until golden-brown on all sides.
12. If the kachories are fried on high heat, they will get soft and will not be crispy.

Serving

1. Just before serving drizzle the kachori with about 2 tablespoons of hot syrup. Garnish them with left over filling or sliced pistachios.
2. Kachories can also be served without syrup.