Koraishutir Kochuri is simply a Bengali style green peas (korai shuti or motor shuti) kachori. This preparation usually is in its most supreme form during the winters that bring in fresh green peas in abundance. But to relish the flavors of one of the most sought-after Bengali breakfast or snack options, you needn’t really wait for the winters to arrive. You can even make this Motor Shutir Kochuri with your frozen peas. Best had with luchi, Alur Dom and Cholar Dal as a comforting and hearty breakie.
What is Koraishutir Kochuri
I’ll first simply translate this Bengali named dish, into English; which would mean:
Koraishutir – of green peas (green peas is also known as motor shuti in Bengali; the suffix ‘-r’ means ‘of’)
Kochuri – is basically a stuffed, fried Indian bread known as kachori; the poori also belongs to this category
Now coming to Bengal’s fascination with Koraishutir Kochuri! The markets in this side of the country too, are flooded with fresh matar/motor/korai shuti (green peas) during the winter season. Hence, it is only justified to make use of them and turn into a delicious dish.
The Motor Shutir Kochuri is one of those many winter delicacies that is really, really addictive. Trust me, when I say this. Though, you don’t really need a particular season to enjoy this and other Bengali style fried breads like the famous Radhaballabhi. However, during the chilly time of the year, it is more apt to indulge more in rich, fried dishes as it is easy for the body to accept them.
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Personally, as well, not only do I enjoy making a variety of Bengali recipes throughout the year, but also love feasting on them. The same is the case with my family too. There’s a certain charm about the dishes of this particular cuisine and I must say that it does take a person to develop a palate for it.
But once done, there’s no stopping or looking back from Bengali cuisine. The food culture beautifully blends in flavor profiles like sweet, salty and spicy too. Thus, resulting in super yummy preparations. Not just in non-vegetarian choices, but also equally well in vegetarian ones.
So, this Koraishutir Kochuri along with many other preparations from the Bengali culinary repertoire have become quite a regular in my kitchen and home.
The USP of the Motor Shutir Kochuri, as is obvious from the name, is the green peas stuffing. It is very mildly spiced, so that the flavors of the green peas come through nicely. The outer covering of the kachori is not a flaky one like the Khasta Kachori. The dough used to make this Bengali Kachori is similar to the Luchi dough and is made with all-purpose flour (maida).
All this result in a soft-textured Koraishutir Kochuri, which are more like stuffed pooris but made with maida. As the stuffed pooris made with whole wheat flour (atta) will not have a soft texture like these typical kachoris. Thus, to get a traditional and original taste, I would suggest to use all-purpose flour in this recipe as well and not substitute it with atta.
I have tried this Motor Shutir Kochuri a number of times. At first, I did not add the ginger, green chili and garam masala. And for my taste buds, this taste was a little bland. So, I made some changes in the recipe and added these three ingredients too. This definitely brought in a zing in flavors of the peas stuffing, and the overall taste of the kochuris improved remarkably.
To make this special Bengali delicacy, it is best if you get fresh green peas and use them in the recipe. However, if you are craving for this Koraishutir Kochuri in other seasons, go ahead and use your regular frozen peas to make them.
How to make Koraishutir Kochuri
Making dough
- First, we begin with making the dough. Mix 2.5 cups all-purpose flour, 2 to 2.5 tablespoons ghee or oil and salt as required. Add water as required, and knead to a smooth and soft dough. Keep covered with a moist kitchen napkin for 30 to 45 minutes.
Making stuffing
2. Take 1 cup green peas along with ½ inch ginger and 1 to 2 green chilies in a grinder jar.
3. Grind to a semi coarse paste, without adding any water.
4. Heat 1 to 1.5 teaspoons oil in a small pan. Add 1 teaspoon cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, 1 to 2 pinches garam masala powder and a pinch asafoetida (hing), Fry for a few seconds.
5. Add the prepared peas paste along with sugar and salt as required. Stir and sauté for 3 minutes.
6. Add 1 tablespoon gram flour (besan) and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes more. Addition of besan absorbs the moisture in the filling. Whenever I make kachoris, I always add some besan in the stuffing.
7. When cooled, make small sized balls from the peas stuffing and keep aside.
Making Koraishutir Kochuri
8. Make lemon sized balls from the dough. Apply oil on both sides of a ball and roll into a small circle. Place the peas stuffing ball on the dough.
9. Gather the edges and bring them all together in the center. Join the edges and flatten them on the dough.
10. Gently roll into a stuffed kachori. If a part tears, then just seal with a piece of dough and roll to smoothen it. Apply some more oil if needed, while rolling.
11. Gently drop the kachori in medium hot oil. The oil should not be too hot or at a low temperature.
12. The kachori will begin to puff in some seconds. Nudge and press lightly with a spoon so that the kachori puffs up, like the way we do for pooris.
13. With a slotted spoon, turn over and fry the other side.
14. These kachoris are creamish white when fried due to the all-purpose flour. So, they don’t become browned like kachoris made of whole wheat flour. Remove from a slotted spoon when both sides are crisp and done. Drain Koraishutir Kochuri on paper towels. Prepare the remaining kachoris in the same way.
15. Serve Koraishutir Kochuri just plain or with aloor dum or cholar dal.
Expert Tips
- Fresh green peas is the best option for the stuffing of this Bengali Kachori. But if you don’t have it, then use frozen green peas.
- For an authentic taste, use all-purpose flour (maida) and not whole wheat flour (atta).
- You can add some gram flour (besan) in the stuffing as it helps to absorb the moisture.
- For an enhanced flavor, you can add some fennel (saunf) powder in the stuffing.
- Due to the maida, this Bengali peas kachori is creamish white in color after frying. It will not become brown like kachoris made with atta.
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Koraishutir Kochuri | Motor Shutir Kochuri
Ingredients
for kachori dough
- 2.5 cups maida (all purpose flour)
- 2 to 2.5 tablespoon Ghee or oil
- water as required
- salt as required
for matar stuffing
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas or matar
- 1 tablespoon besan (gram flour)
- 1 to 2 green chillies – chopped (hari mirch)
- ½ inch ginger – chopped (adrak)
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
- 1 green cardamom (choti elaichi or hari elaichi)
- 1 to 2 pinches Garam Masala
- a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 1 to 1.5 teaspoon oil
- sugar as required
- salt as required
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
making koraishutir kochuri dough
- In a bowl add the flour, salt and ghee or oil.
- Mix everything so as to incorporate the ghee or oil through the whole flour.
- Add water in intervals and knead to a smooth and soft dough.
- Cover the dough with a wet napkin and keep aside for 30-45 minutes at room temperature.
making matar stuffing
- Rinse the shelled or frozen matar (green peas).
- Take them in a grinder or blender. grind to a semi coarse consistency without adding any water.
- If not able to grind in your mixer or grinder, then add 1 or 2 tsp of water.
- Peel the cardamom and powder the seeds in a mortar-pestle till finely ground.
- Heat oil in a small pan.
- On a low flame, add all the spice powders one by one – cumin powder, cardamom powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder and asafoetida. fry for 2-3 seconds.
- Then add the ground peas (matar), sugar and salt. saute for 3 minutes. Stir continuously.
- Add the besan or gram flour and saute for a further 2-3 minutes with continuous stirring.
- Take the matar stuffing in a bowl or plate and let it cool.
- Prepare small balls from the stuffing and keep aside.
rolling and stuffing koraishutir kochuri
- Before making the kachoris, heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan.
- Make lemon sized balls from the dough and cover with a wet kitchen napkin.
- Take one ball and flatten it with your palm. apply some oil to it on both sides.
- Place the ball on the rolling board and roll to a 3 inches diameter circle.
- Keep the matar stuffing in the center. bring all the edges of the dough and press them together.
- Apply some more oil if required and roll the stuffed kachori to a circle of 4 to 5 inches circle.
- If the dough tears, then patch that spot with a small piece of dough and roll on that part gently to even it.
frying koraishutir kochuri
- Drop a small piece of dough in the oil and if it comes steadily from the bottom to the top, then the oil is hot enough for the kachoris to be fried.
- Gently drop the kachori in the hot oil.
- With a slotted spoon, apply gentle pressure on the kachori to help it to puff up, like we do while frying pooris.
- When one side is done and all puffed up – you will see that the oil has stopped sizzling.
- Turn over and fry the other side of matar kachori.
- You can turn over twice and fry for a few seconds too.
- When the koraishutir kochuri appears crisp and pale creamish golden, remove from the slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper towels.
- Serve koraishutir kochuri plain or with yogurt or any chutney or with aloor dum or cholar dal.
Notes
- For added flavor and taste, fennel powder or saunf powder can also be added.
This Koraishutir Kochuri Recipe from the archives was first published in June 2013. It has been updated and republished in March 2024.
