Kachori Parcels

Directions

1. KACHORI MIX In a large bowl, rinse the moong daal a few times until the water runs clear. Transfer the washed daal to pressure cooker and add 3/4 cup water, salt and turmeric. Cook for 1 whistle. Once the cooker cools down, we start making the kachori mix. If using stovetop, combine the washed moong daal with 2 cups of water (add 1/2 cup water at a time if additional water is required), salt and turmeric and cook until it is soft but not completely mushy and the water has evaporated.
2. Heat a large pan, add oil. Add the cooked moong daal and season with garam masala, crushed fennel powder and 1 tsp red chili powder. Mix everything well. Adjust the spice and salt as needed and the kachori mix is ready. Let the kachori mix cool completely before proceeding to a make the parcels.
3. MAKING THE PARCELS Follow the instructions on the phyllo packet and thaw the sheets as directed. Pile up the phyllo pastry on a dusted surfaces separate two 3 layers sheets. Cut the sheets in 8x8 cm squares.
4. Spoon 2-3 tsp of kachori mix on a square. Spray the sides with oil, gather up the edges and scrunch them together. Apply more oil to help the edges stick. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make more phyllo kachori parcels. It is completely fine if the parcels don’t close completely - space for the chutneys to seep in.
5. Transfer the parcels to the oil sprayed baking tray. Bake them at 375° Fahrenheit for 15 mins or until the phyllo pastry is reddish brown on the edges. Meanwhile, let's make all the CHUTNEYS!
6. CILANTRO CHUTNEY Blend 5 cups washed cilantro, 1/4 cup water, 2-3 green chilies, 1/2 inch knob of ginger, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp lemon juice until smooth. Check and adjust the salt and spice levels as required.
7. GARLIC CHUTNEY Blend 8-10 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp red chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp lemon juice until smooth, and with drizzle-worthy consistency. Adjust salt and spice levels as needed. Chili crunch oil works great as a substitute here!
8. YOGURT DRIZZLE Whisk 1 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp red chili powder and 1 tsp black salt. Bring it to a drizzle-worthy consistency by adding more water if needed - a tablespoon at a time.
9. ASSEMBLY Place the baked Kachori Parcels on a serving plate. Drizzle with yogurt, cilantro, date syrup and garlic chutney, in that order. Sprinkle chopped onions, sev, cilantro and pomegranate arils. Repeat the chutney and yogurt drizzle if desired and start stuffing them in your mouth, YUM!
10. NOTES: * All the chutneys and yogurt drizzle can be made ahead of time and are easily portable in individual containers. * Baked parcels once cooled, can be stored in airtight containers in cool place. You can easily carry them to your loved ones and assemble at the venue. * Alternatively, you can make the parcels up to 6 hours ahead of time and bake them hot when guests arrive/when you ready to eat. Make sure to spray a little oil over them to prevent drying out, cover and keep in a cool place. * You can freeze the leftover kachori mix or make stuffed parathas with it.