Baked Kachori Bites

If you are looking for delicious finger food that can set your party racing, then these titbits will prove to be purely delightful and ultimate party appetizers.

Flaky, crispy, and addictively delicious, these mini, bite-sized Baked Kachori bites are ready to take on your next party. Yes, this is what these enticing little bites of absolute bliss are known fpr!

What are Baked Kachori Bites

Kachori is a deep-fried savory snack shaped like a round flattened ball and consists of a flour-based shell. Maida forms the covering of this sensational dish, and it is filled with flavorful ingredients and spices.

Originating from the Mewar region of Rajasthan, this dish is now a popular snack all over the country.

Deconstructed baked kachori bites are the mini version of the Kachoris. It doesn’t have an enclosed shell, as the Kachoris have, but has an open Phyllo cup that holds the savory fillings.

And as these little treats are not fried but baked, they also make for a guilt-free food that can be enjoyed without bothering about health.

Reasons You’ll ♡ Baked Kachori Bites

Phyllo dough baked kachori bites makes an excellent appetizer for valid reasons. Here are a few of the most apparent ones. These fascinating little cups of Kachori Bites are —

• Lightly crispy and delightfully flakey.
• Perfect crowd-pleasers in small bite-sized packs.
• As they are baked, you can enjoy them guilt-free.
• Easy and fun to make.
• Extremely versatile! 

They’re perfect for an array of both sweet and savory fillings. So, you can imagine any filling that your creativity calls for, and that can go into these Phyllo cups beautifully.

Now the best part, the phyllo/Fillo cups can be made in advance; therefore, it helps in saving time.

What are Phyllo dough sheets

Phyllo or Fillo (pronounced FEE-low) is a Greek word that means a “leaf,” and it refers to dough sheets that are as thin as a leaf. These sheets are flour and water, so there is no fat in these tissue-like thin sheets of dough.

Being so light, they can dry out rapidly if left exposed to air, and as they are delicate, they can be a little challenging to deal with.

To prevent this, each sheet of phyllo is kept covered with a damp towel and then smeared with butter just before baking. These butter-coated phyllo sheets result in flaky and crispy textured recipes when baked.

Baked Kachori Bites Ingredient list

Don’t let the long list of ingredients and the steps-to-make-this-baked kachori bites deter you from trying this recipe. This dish may have a lengthy process, but I can guarantee it is well worth it!

Lentils — Urad dal forms the base of the Kachori filling. It lends texture and flavor to the dry filling.

Besan — Serves as one of the base ingredients for the filling of our delicious Kachori Bites.

Fennel seeds — They are used to enhance the flavor of the dry filling. It lends a sweet taste and crunchy texture to the filling.

Garam Masala Powder — The spices in the garam masala powder lend flavor and aroma to the dish.

Dried Ginger Powder — Ginger gives an intensely spicy and pungent flavor to the filling mixture. However, adding dry ginger powder will be a little mild, peppery, and sweet. As both taste great, you can choose anyone.

Green chilies — Adding green chilies lends hotness to the filling. As we are already using red chili powder, you may skip adding green chilies. If you like it spicier, you can add both.

Coriander powder — Adds a citrusy and warm touch to the filling mixture.

Cumin seeds — When roasted, cumin seeds give an earthy and intense warming flavor that adds a delightful taste and aroma to the filling.

Carrom seeds — They boost the taste of the filling mixture with their intense spiciness.

Mustard seeds — Lends an intense flavor and a mild nutty taste to the recipe.

Mango Powder — As the filling tastes best with some tanginess, we add amchur powder for this purpose.

Kasoori Methi — Added for its unique nutty and bitter flavor that renders a savory touch to the recipe.

Deggi Mirch or Red Chilli Powder — It is usually added for its beautiful red color. As deggi mirch is just mildly chili, you may add red chili powder instead for a spicier and hotter recipe.

Asafoetida — Added for its unique flavor.

Phyllo/Fillo Dough sheets — These sheets are used for making kachori cups.

Butter — Butter is used to brush each of the phyllo sheets.

How to make Baked Kachori Bites

For the FULL, printable recipe card, please scroll down to the bottom of this post.

Soak lentils — Rinse the urad dal under cold running water to clean any dirt or dust. Transfer the rinsed dal to a bowl and add water to soak the lentils for 3-4 hours or overnight. Make sure you use a large bowl to soak the lentils as they will double in size.

Boil the dal — Drain and rinse the lentils again. Add the soaked urad dal to the Instant Pot insert. Add salt, and turmeric, and give it a good stir.

Close the lid and seal the Instant Pot. Press the Manual or pressure cook button and cook the Urad dal for 4 minutes on HIGH. Turn the steam valve to the venting position to quickly release the pressure. 

Strain the cooked dal through a strainer. Allow all the water to drain through. Rinse the dal once again and set it aside to cool and drain thoroughly. 

Make Filling — Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed wide pan. Once hot, add hing and mustard seeds and let them pop. Sauté for a minute. Now add the cooked urad dal to the pan. Sauté the dal for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. 

Now stir in all the spices and mix until thoroughly combined. Finally, add besan ( chickpea flour) and sauté the mixture for 6-7 minutes over medium-low heat. Add kasoori methi, fennel seeds, and garam masala, and mix until combined.

Sauté the dal mixture for additional 2-3 minutes. Then take it off the flame and set it aside. Add chopped cilantro leaves, mix, and allow this mix to cool completely. 

Prepare Phyllo dough cups — Remove the Phyllo Sheets from the box. Unwrap one roll of phyllo dough and lay it flat on a clean surface. 

Cover the sheets you are working on with a moist kitchen towel to prevent drying. Lay one sheet on a clean surface and brush the entire sheet with butter. Press gently so that the sheets stick to each other. Continue this process with the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth sheets.

Once you have a stack of 6 sheets, all buttered up, split them into 12 pieces. Transfer a phyllo/Fillo sheet square into the greased muffin pan. Gently press each square into the mold of a muffin pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Once done and beautifully baked, remove the phyllo cups from the oven. Let them cool for a few minutes, then remove them from the muffin pan.

Bite-sized phyllo cups are ready to be filled.

Assemble Phyllo Kachori Bites — Arrange a baked phyllo cup on a plate. Fill this baked phyllo cup with kachori filling. 

Finish off each phyllo bite with a generous drizzle of green chutney and meethi chutney. Add chopped green chilies, chopped onions, and a layer of thin sev on top for an extra crunch. Sprinkle some pomegranate seeds, and chopped cilantro leaves, and serve.

Enjoy the crispier and flakier Kachori cups.

Expert tips, Variations, and Alterations

Defrosting tip — Phyllo/Fillo sheets should be thawed in the fridge for a few hours or overnight; after that, leave the sheets at room temperature for an hour until pliable and soft.

Torn sheets — If the phyllo sheets get torn while shaping, don’t bother. You can add these torn sheets to the muffin cups and bake. It will only add a flaky layer and a terrific crunch.

Store-bought Filo cups — You can use the store-bought Filo cups for preparing your Kachori Bites. These Filo shells are pre-baked, but I recommend you bake them for yet another 5 to 7 minutes before using them for the recipe.

Cool the filling — Phyllo/Fillo sheets are delicate and can also lose their shape when exposed to heat. So it is best to add the filling when it is cooled, or it may turn the sheets soggy.

Fill the cups when serving — Phyllo cups will get soggy if left for some time with chutneys layered on them. So, it is best to fill the cups just before serving. This will let your Kachori Bites be at their crispiest best when served.

Chutneys — Remember to top your Kachori Bites with chutneys before serving, or they will taste dry and lack flavors. Chutneys add a zing to the recipe with a melange of flavors.

Preserving Phyllo sheets — Phyllo/Fillo sheets tend to dry out very quickly when exposed to room temperature. So it is essential to keep them wrapped with a lightly damp dish towel (not saturated, just a little moisture) while you work with the other sheets.

This is a crucial step, so take care to keep this in mind while working with your Phyllo sheets. These sheets can become sticky if too damp or brittle if too dry.

Flaky touch to baked Kachori bites — To give a crisp touch to the Kachori bites, try brushing each Phyllo sheet with butter while layering to fuse the sheets. 

Adaptive and versatile — These baked phyllo/Fillo cups are a very adaptable recipe. Feel free to add or subtract whatever ingredients you like! The sky is the limit when it comes to filling; you can fill these phyllo cups with whatever your heart desires.

Spice it up — Those who love to have the recipe spicier can add more chilies and spices to the filling.

Filling variations — This recipe can be easily customized to different tastes and preferences. For a moist filling, you can use potatoes for the ‘aloo tikki’ bites or ‘samosa’ bites, which undoubtedly will taste as wonderful as this recipe.

Sturdier Phyllo cup — You may want your phyllo/Fillo cups to be sturdier for holding the fillings and chutneys. For that, I would recommend using 6 Phyllo sheets. The thicker the cup, the better it is equipped for handling the stuffing and chutneys.

Let me know what you think!

Are you loving the idea of grabbing these little bites of happiness? I know you can’t hold yourself for long. Neither can I!

Well, then let’s get straight to the recipe and create our scrumptious cups of delight. Should you make these Baked Kachori Bites, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. 

And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.

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