Hello foodies! Welcome to Naiya's Kitchen!! 🧑🏻🍳☺️
"If you grew up in a Gujarati household, the first nip in the winter air signifies one glorious thing: the arrival of fresh green tuvar (pigeon peas) in the markets. I have such vivid childhood memories of sunny winter afternoons, sitting cross-legged on the floor and helping my Ba (grandmother) shell mountains of these vibrant green pods, all while eagerly anticipating the magic she would create later. And the absolute crown jewel of that seasonal feast? Piping hot, crispy Lilva ni Kachori. "Imagine this: a perfectly golden-fried outer shell that shatters with a satisfying crunch on the first bite, immediately giving way to a steaming, fragrant filling of sweetly spiced fresh pigeon peas. It’s that irresistible interplay of textures—crispy meets soft—and the quintessential Gujarati flavor balance of savory, spicy, and just a whisper of sweet, that makes this snack so addictive. We are talking about the legendary Lilva ni Kachori, the ultimate winter indulgence that practically demands to be eaten fresh out of the kadhai with a side of tangy green chutney." "I won’t sugarcoat it: making the perfect kachori from scratch is a labor of love. It requires a little patience—from shelling the fresh lilva to nailing dough consistency—to ensure that flawless, bubble-free crispy exterior. But let me assure you, the moment you break open one of these homemade Gujarati Lilva ni Kachoris, fragrant with ginger, chili, and fresh coriander, every minute of effort feels completely worth it. Get your afternoon masala chai ready; this is a weekend project that pays off in pure deliciousness."Today, I’m sharing that precious slice of nostalgic warmth—and the authentic recipe—with all of you."
"I know frying kachoris can seem intimidating, but trust me, that first shattering crunch followed by the sweet and spicy pea filling makes every bit of effort worthwhile. These are best enjoyed piping hot, straight from the kadhai, perhaps with a sneaky cup of masala chai on the side. If you give this traditional Gujarati recipe a try, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a comment below letting me know how they turned out, or tag me in your golden-fried creations on Instagram so I can share the love."
"I'm going to sign off now because a fresh batch has just come out of the oil here, and the aroma of chili, and fresh tuvar is calling my name. Serve these crunchy pockets of joy with your favorite tamarind or coriander chutney and watch them disappear in seconds. Enjoy every crispy bite!" 😋
Preparation time - 30 minutes
Cooking time - 30 minutes
Makes 25 to 30 kachories (approx)
Ingredients to make Lilva ni Kachori:
For stuffing:
2 cups lilva (pigeon peas)
2 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
2 tablespoon finely chopped green chillies
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste
4 to 5 bulbs garlic (opt)
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder (opt)
A hand full of chopped coriander leaves
For dough:
3/4 to 1 cup refined flour
1 tablespoon sooji
2 tablespoon rice flour
2 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon ghee
Salt to taste
A pinch soda bi carb
Oil for frying
To serve with:
Method to make Lilva ni Kachori:
For stuffing:
- Peel wash and crush pigeon peas. If you want to add garlic, crush it with pigeon peas.
- In a thick bottom/nonstick pan add oil and cumin seeds. When they crackles add asafoetida, green chillies, sesame seeds, turmeric powder and soda bi carb, mix well.
- Add crushed fresh lilva (pigeon peas). Mix well and add salt to taste. Again mix properly and cook covered. Stir occasionally.
- When cooked add remaining spices and lemon juice. Personally I don't like to add garam masala powder but you can add if desired.
- Let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Again stir occasionally.
- Transfer to broad vessel and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves over it. I specially love the taste of lilva, so I never add coconut and peanut powder to it. But again you can.
- Let it cool at room temperature and then make small equal size balls from it. Keep a side. You can make around 25 to 30 balls. It depends upon the size.
For dough:
- Mix all ingredients of dough in a broad vessel, it will give crumbled texture.
- Make semi soft dough with the help of water. Grease with a spoon full oil and rest for minimum 15 minutes covered.
For Lilva Kachori:
- After that again knead for 4 to 5 minutes. Divide into equal size balls. Make around 25 to 30 balls.
- Roll a ball and stuff it with stuffing. Make pleats of dough for sealing. Make sure to cut extra dough from pleats. Re
- Heat oil in a pan and fry small batch of kachori at slow flame. For crispier outer we will fry kachories twice. So fry upto 70 percentage. Drain them over absorbent kitchen tissue. Repeat the same for remaining.
- Again fry them until light brown in colour. It will give you crispy outer.
- Serve hot lilva Kachori with sweet chutney, green chutney and all in one chutney. Even it will give good taste with tomato ketchup also.
