Gujarati gougeres, peas kachori (matar kachori )

These delicious balls of pea-green joy are an old Gujarati delicacy that are easy to tear apart and wolf down. Forgive the authors licence in calling them Gougeres as they are nothing like a gougere ( choux pastry buns filled with cheese) except in appearance, but I could not resist the visual resemblance. Serve them with a mint and yoghurt chutney on the side. They can be made on the spur of the moment almost entirely from items you may well already have in the freezer and store cupboard. If you don’t have a food processor, use a pestle and mortar and a potato masher.

Matar kachori are a flaky crisp fried (or in my case oven baked) pastry, filled with a spicy pea filling.In Hindi matar means peas and kachori is the flaky fried or oven baked pastry.They are like spicy empanadas.The filling can be varied from savoury to sweet,from potato and peas to lentils and even onions.These make a nice warm mid brunch or evening snack served hot with some spicy coriander chutney and of course an aperitif.I was half tempted to warm them through for breakfast.Well it is still winter after all,and whats wrong with bringing a bit of spice to the breakfast table.
Kachori, or other filled dough dishes, is a concept that’s known and loved in most cuisines around the world. I have done a few types of these; Polish pierogi, spring rolls, potstickers, pastillas and empanadas and I’m already scheming another dish that will happily sit in this category. Watch this space!
Pea Kachori
For the pastry
1 cup all purpose flour 
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1/4 cup warm water
½ tsp baking powder
In a bowl mix  the flour salt and baking powder,add the warm water,bring together to form a dough ball and keep wrapped in a damp towel until ready to use.

For the filling
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 cup frozen peas,cooked and blitzed in the processor
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground coriander 
½ tsp dry mango powder,or substitute tsp of lemon juice 
½in piece root ginger, peeled and mashed to a paste in a pestle and mortar
1 fresh green chillies, finely chopped and mashed to a paste in a pestle and mortar
Tbsp garam,chickpea flour
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp sunflower oil
1¼ tsp garam masala
¾ tsp salt
Heat the oil in a small frying pan and fry the cumin seeds over a low heat until fragrant Stir in the ginger and green chilli paste and the rest of the spices.Stir in the flour and sautée for 2 to 3 minutes.Stir in the peas and mix well to combine.

Make 8 balls from your previously made dough.Roll out into 3~4 inch rounds add a heaped teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each ring.brush some water round the edges and then bring the edges together like a purse and press the edges downwards and roll into 8 equal balls.oven 200C for 40 minutes until golden.