Oven Baked Stuffed Semolina Kochuri

For some days my mind was going..khasta kochuri...khasta kochuri... that crispy outer shell, hot with a hint of sweet,Dal stuffing...the smell of hing...oh! I miss my para!! As I do not have the luxury of going to the para sweet shop and buying some,I have to bite the dust and make some for myself and sadly share a few with my daughter and hubby dear,too. As I am making at home there was lots of option open to me for the stuffing so I went for fish...Then thought why not experiment with shell too..so in went some semolina...after testing my fruit of labour, I thought I almost passed the taste of authenticity..mind the word 'authenticity'..as it was a bit too crispy..I mixed 1cup of semolina to 1 cup of flour...I think 1/2 would be right...other than no complaint..As I remained part satisfied with the journey, the fish kachori pointed out to me that I was not just craving for the kachori but the whole package...the Dal stuffing...the hum of the sweet shop...the flies..waiting in the line for your turn and being impatient..everything...!! So, keeping it in mind, that I cannot cook up these little extras(which I was really missing), I promised to myself that, I will be making these babies again,for sure, but not with fish or anything else..only with Dal,which tastes hot with a hint of sweetness and smell of hing!! And then I will take a bite into it, I will close my eyes and ....


 Ingredients: 

For Kachori Shell

Plain White Flour : 1 cup
Semolina : 1/2 cup
Oil : 1/2 cup
Sugar : 1 tbsp
Baking Soda : 1 tsp
Baking Powder : 1 tsp
Salt : to taste   

Filling

Fish Fillets : 1 1/2 cups, boiled and forked
Onion : 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Ginger Paste : 1 tsp
Garlic Paste : 2 tsp
Tomato Ketchup : 2 tbsp
Chilli Powder : 2 tsp
Cumin Powder : 1 tsp
Coriander Powder : 2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1 tsp 
Green Chilli : 1tbsp,chopped (optional)
Sugar : 1 tsp
Salt : to taste 
Oil : as required

Method :
Shift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Put the dry ingredients and oil in a bowl and mix it until it resembles bread crumb. Take 2 tsp of vinegar and mix it with 1/2 cup of water ,then add some water from the cup and mix to a firm dough. Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface. Cover it with a damp cloth and keep aside for 30 min. In the mean time prepare the filling. Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onion and fry until it is lightly golden. Add garlic and ginger paste and rest of the dry masala, except the garam masala and tomato puree. Fry for some time until it releases  oil. Add the fish at this time and stir fry for some time until every thing incorporated. Then add salt and sugar and the chopped fresh chillies, in using.Sprinkle the garam masala and mix everything. Remove from the heat and leave it to be cooled.

Now let's make some kochuries. Take the dough and make round balls from it. Take one dough ball and give a shape of bowl and stuff it with the fish stuffing. Then pull the dough together and and seal it,it will take a shape of ball,press it and flatten the ball to seal the tightly. Do this with rest of the dough balls.Pre-heat your oven at 180C and line the baking tray with baking sheet.Arrange the balls on the tray and give them an egg wash or if they are non-veg brush them with milk. Bake them in the oven for 20 mins and increase the temperature to 200C for another 10 mins or golden brown in colour. Cool it ,and serve it with your choice of chutney when it's still hot.