Uttarakhand's famous singhare ki kachri

I was suppose to write this post when singharas or water chestnuts were still visible in the market. Anyhow, better late than never. Singhare ki kachri is a famous road side food in Uttarakhand. The freezing cold is apt for this hot and spicy snack. I have always eaten it at home made by my Mother or Grandmother but I have heard a lot of stories about this kachri from my Mama and Nana who used to stay in Kashipur, a small town near Nainital. My Mama tells me that it used to be very difficult to order it at a thela because the mouth never stopped watering. Well, do try this recipe and I hope that it makes your mouth water too.

The singharas used for this recipe are the dark purple ones and not the green ones.

Ingredients:
Water chestnut (singhara)            1 kg
Cumin seeds                                1 tsp
Ginger (finely chopped)                1 tsp
Green chillis (finely chopped)        4
Salt to taste
Ghee                                            2 tbsp
Lemon                                         1
Fresh coriander (finely chopped)

Method:

• Pressure cook water chestnuts, peel and crush them in a food processor (even better if you can do it with hands).
• Heat ghee in a kadhai.
• Throw in cumin seeds, chopped green chillis and ginger and saute them.
• Add the crushed water chestnuts and fry for 15 minutes. Add salt and mix well
• Squeeze the lemon juice, garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.