There was a time when I was forever experimenting in the kitchen and making rushing my husband to taste them and then share the recipe on the blog. It’s taken me a long time to realise that not every recipe has to be fancy or perfect. Some of the best ideas come from opening the cupboard, spotting packets of lentils waiting to be used, and creating something comforting from what you already have. With a mixture of moong dal, masoor dal, whole moong and frozen peas, these air fried mixed dal kachoris were born. This is a healthier twist on a much-loved favourite, packed with protein and full of flavour.
You can still look up my kachori recipes made the authentic way,
When I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, the diabetic nurse asked me to read a book called: . I also follow Jessie Inchauspe on instagram and have learnt a lot from the book and her Posts.
Since following Jessie Inchauspe, I have also found several other instagram pages that I find helpful. One of them is Thegujaraticoach; introduced to me by my son. His posts really resonate with me because he talks about something very familiar and realistic; how to make Gujarati food healthier without completely giving up the foods we love. Do checkout these two accounts if you want some healthy eating tips.
Some recent changes:
I have started eating healthily and made changes to what I eat now, Just a small change I made is having Greek Yogurt instead of Greek style yogurt as the Greek yogurt has more protein. Adding frozen fruit to it makes it taste like shrikand.
Also I always eat a colourful salad dressed in Balsamic or apple cider vinegar before eating the rest of my meal.
I hope to share more diabetic-friendly recipes whenever I can. Changing eating habits at my age isn’t easy. But when I go for my diabetic checkup and get told that my HbA1c reading is acceptable, it makes me happy.
Changing eating habits is good but we also need to include regular exercise in our daily routine to help the body use up the glucose we consume. With that in mind, I have been walking a lot and also doing some light exercises in the gym.
For Type 2 diabetes-friendly eating, air frying the kachoris using all the pulses and peas is a good swap because the extra fibre and protein can help slow digestion compared with traditional kachoris.
Method for making 35 kachoris
For the Filling:
- 1 cup moong dal
- 1 cup masoor dal
- ⅓ cup whole moong
- 1½ cups frozen peas
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp dhana jeeru (a mixture of cumin and coriander ground together)
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp blended green chili and ginger I used frozen)
- Fresh green coriander
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp oil for tempering
For the dough:
- 3 cups plain flour
- 2 tbsp semolina (for extra crispness)
- 3 tbsp oil
- Pinch of salt
Air fryer method
- 2-3 tbls oil for spreading on the kachoris
Method:
- Make dough:
Mix flour, semolina, salt, and oil. Rub together and add warm water gradually and make a firm dough. Rest for 20–30 minutes.
2. Prepare filling:
1. Wash the various dalls and allow to soak in cold water whilst you organize the ingredients for tempering.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok or saucepan and add in the dry cumin. Once the cumin goes dark, strain the lentils and add them to the oil. Add the salt,turmeric, chili powder, dhana jeeru and ginger chili paste. Stir and allow to cook gently for 5 to 6 minutes. Add in the frozen peas and allow to cook for further 5 minutes.
Add half a cup of water to the mixture and allow to cook. Keep checking and add more water if the lentils do not soften. Some lentils take longer to soften so add a tablespoon or 2 of water when needed. You do not want the filling to be too wet. When we had a restaurant, my father in law used to add crushed sev or gathia to the mixture, This used to soak up the moisture and also give it the typical kachori taste. I am not going to do that. I am also not going to add the lemon and sugar simply because I want to keep this recipe tasty without sugar.
3. Once the mixture is cooked, add the garam masala. Cook it for a couple of minutes and transfer it to a big mixing bowl to cool. Add some finely chopped coriander and finely diced onions to the mixture. Mix well and taste and make adjustments if necessary. Allow the mixture to cool.
4. Once the mixture is cool, divide it into 35 balls.
5. To shape the kachoris – Take a small amount of dough and roll it out in a small circle. Put the kachori filling in the middle of the circle. Picking the edge of the circle, try and join all the edges together to form a ball. The ball should be sealed from all sides or the mixture will leak out when frying.
6. Usually spread the filled kachoris on a kitchen towel until ready for frying. In this case, we will brush oil on the kachoris and airfry them.
6. Airfry the kachoris at 180°C for 4 minutes turning halfway. Then do the same a second time. If they are not crisp, you may have to airfry them for a minute. I used a silicon insert to airfry the kachoris which unfortunately marked the kachoris.
Serving ideas:
- Tamarind chutney
- Green chutney
- Greek Yogurt
- A cup of masala chai
Notes:
I feel that the using a mix of moong dal, masoor dal, whole moong, and green peas, I have creates a lovely protein-rich filling.
According to ChatGpt – here is roughly why it works:
- Moong dal – good source of plant protein and easy to digest
- Masoor dal – high in protein, iron, and fibre
- Whole moong – adds extra fibre and slow-release energy
- Green peas – protein plus vitamins and natural sweetness
Together, they create a more balanced filling with:
✔ Higher protein
✔ More fibre
✔ Better fullness (keeps you satisfied longer)
✔ Slower rise in blood sugar
If you have a hunger for Authentic Vegetarian Food then subscribe to my blog and receive delectable recipes and new Innovative foodie updates! Hungry for more Vegetarian Tips ? LIKE us on facebook, Follow us on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. All the recipes are with step by step instructions and photographs and all of them have been tried, tested, easy to cook and delicious.
If you are interested in one to one or group cookery lessons, or any corporate team building events – email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com for more information.