Lilva Kachori is a deep-fried snack filled with an aromatic mixture of fresh pigeon peas (lilva), coconut, and spices, encased in a crisp, flaky pastry shell—served hot with sweet or spicy chutney.
Ingredients:
For Dough:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida)
- 2 tbsp ghee or oil
- Pinch salt
- Water (to knead)
For Filling:
- 1 cup fresh lilva (pigeon peas) or frozen
- 1/4 cup grated coconut
- 2–3 green chilies, minced
- 1-inch ginger
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- Salt to taste
- 1–2 tbsp oil for sautéing
Method:
- For dough: rub ghee/oil into flour with salt. Add water to knead into firm dough; rest 20 min.
- Grind lilva, chili, ginger to a coarse paste. Sauté in oil with coconut, masala, sugar, lemon, and salt 2–3 mins. Cool.
- Divide dough and filling into small balls. Stuff each, seal, and flatten slightly.
- Deep fry in medium oil until golden and crisp. Serve hot with green or tamarind chutney.
Tips:
- Don’t over-wet filling; it can burst during frying.
- Seal edges tightly for proper puffing.
- Add a spoon of crushed peanuts for more crunch.