Whether you’re hosting a summer barbecue, packing a picnic, or looking for a refreshing side dish, orzo pasta salad is a perfect choice. This classic Greek Salad offers delicious flavours in every bite.
- The Beauty of Orzo Pasta Salad
- Ingredients Required
- Greek Salad Dressing
- How To Make
- Serving Suggestion
- More Salad Recipes
- Greek Salad Recipe
The traditional Greek salad, also known as “Horiatiki,” is a culinary masterpiece that celebrates the vibrant flavours of Mediterranean cuisine. With its simple yet delicious combination of fresh vegetables, soft feta cheese, and aromatic herbs, it’s no wonder this iconic dish has stood the test of time.
The Beauty of Orzo Pasta Salad
Orzo pasta, often called “rice-shaped pasta,” hails from Italy, where it’s a staple in many dishes like soups, stews, or one-pot casseroles.
In the World of salads, orzo pasta salad stands out as a delicious alternative. With its small, rice-shaped appearance, orzo pasta provides a unique texture and versatility to the classic Greek salad.
Imagine a colourful medley of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and red onions mixed with savoury feta cheese and briny olives, all tossed with cooked orzo pasta. This Greek salad is sure to transport you to the sunny shores of Greece with every bite.
Ingredients Required
The beauty of the Greek salad lies in its simplicity and the quality of its ingredients.
- Pasta: Use Orzo or any other tiny-shaped pasta for this salad recipe.
- Tomatoes: Choose ripe, juicy cherry tomatoes for the best flavour. Roma or vine-ripened tomatoes are ideal, but any flavorful variety will work.
- Cucumbers : English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers are commonly used, as they have thin skins and fewer seeds.
- Onion: Thinly sliced red onion adds a hint of sharpness to the salad.
- Peppers: Capsicum or Red/Yellow Bell Pepper gives crunch to the salad.
- Olives : Traditionally, Kalamata olives are added to a Greek salad. They are a hallmark of Greek cuisine. If not available, add black pitted olives.
- Feta Cheese: Soft and creamy, feta cheese is a quintessential ingredient in Greek salad.
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh herbs such as oregano, parsley, or mint add a fragrant, herbaceous note to the salad. Use whichever herbs you have on hand or prefer.
Greek Salad Dressing
A well-balanced dressing can take an orzo pasta salad from ordinary to extraordinary. The key is to balance the flavours and enhance the overall dish.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: High-quality extra virgin olive oil ties the salad together and enhances its flavours.
- Wine Vinegar: A splash of red wine vinegar adds acidity to the salad dressing.
- Garlic
- Lime Juice
- Dried Oregano
- Salt and Pepper
Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and dried oregano to create a zesty dressing. Use this classic vinaigrette to flavour a variety of salad recipes from my collection .
How To Make
Step 1) Start by cooking the orzo pasta according to the package instructions until it’s al dente. Transfer to a colander, drain the water, rinse with cold water, and allow the pasta to cool completely.
Step 2) Toss the cooked orzo with chopped ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Step 3) In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, garlic, and pepper to create the salad dressing.
Step 4) Drizzle the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss to coat evenly.
Step 5) Crumble the feta cheese over the top of the salad. Garnish with fresh parsley or mint.
Step 6) Allow the flavours to meld together in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving, and voila! You have a refreshing orzo pasta salad ready to enjoy.
Serving Suggestion
Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, attending a potluck , or simply enjoying a light summer lunch , orzo pasta salad is a versatile dish that suits any occasion.
Its vibrant colours and fresh flavours make it a crowd-pleaser. Serve it as a refreshing side dish or a satisfying main course , — either way, you won’t be disappointed!
More Salad Recipes
- Avocado Salad
- Fattoush Salad
- Chickpea Salad
- Pineapple Salad
- Herb Potato Salad
- Green Papaya Salad
- Chinese Cucumber Salad
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
- ▢ 150 gram orzo pasta
- ▢ 1 large size English cucumber, diced
- ▢ 1 medium size red onion, sliced
- ▢ 1 small size green bell pepper, diced
- ▢ 10 cherry tomato, cut into halves
- ▢ ⅓ Cup olives, pitted and cut into halves
- ▢ ¼ Cup feta cheese cut into cubes
- ▢ 2 sprigs fresh mint leaves, chopped
- ▢ 2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
Ingredients For Salad Dressing
- ▢ 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ▢ 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ▢ 1 lemon, juiced
- ▢ 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ▢ 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper, crushed
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add salt and orzo, then cook per packet directions (usually 10 – 12 minutes). Transfer to a colander, drain the water, rinse with cold water, toss with a teaspoon of olive oil, and allow the pasta to cool completely.
- Once cooled, toss the cooked orzo with chopped ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, garlic, and pepper to create the salad dressing. Taste and if required, add more seasoning.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss to coat evenly. Save some dressing to drizzle right before serving.
- Crumble the feta cheese over the top of the salad. Garnish with fresh parsley or mint. Toss one last time.
- Allow the flavours to meld together in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Drizzle the remaining dressing and serve the Greek Orzo Pasta Salad.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
Greek Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Salad Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 150 gram orzo pasta
- 1 large size English cucumber, diced
- 1 medium size red onion, sliced
- 1 small size green bell pepper, diced
- 10 cherry tomato, cut into halves
- ⅓ Cup olives, pitted and cut into halves
- ¼ Cup feta cheese cut into cubes
- 2 sprigs fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
Ingredients For Salad Dressing
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, crushed
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add salt and orzo, then cook per packet directions (usually 10 - 12 minutes). Transfer to a colander, drain the water, rinse with cold water, toss with a teaspoon of olive oil, and allow the pasta to cool completely.
- Once cooled, toss the cooked orzo with chopped ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, garlic, and pepper to create the salad dressing. Taste and if required, add more seasoning.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss to coat evenly. Save some dressing to drizzle right before serving.
- Crumble the feta cheese over the top of the salad. Garnish with fresh parsley or mint. Toss one last time.
- Allow the flavours to meld together in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Drizzle the remaining dressing and serve the Greek Orzo Pasta Salad.
Notes
Nutrition
I am sharing a tried and tested failproof khasta kachori recipe. The highlight of this kachori recipe is the crust made with whole wheat flour and instant dal filling. Be sure to watch the video!
- What is Kachori?
- USP Of My Kachori Recipe
- Ingredients Required
- My Tried & True Tips
- FAQs for Kachori Recipe
- Watch Khasta Kachori Video
- Storing Suggestion
- More Indian Chaat Recipes
- Whole Wheat Khast Kachori Recipe
What is Kachori?
Kachori is a deep-fried, crisp, and flaky Indian snack stuffed with a delicious vegetarian filling. It is one of the most popular street foods in India. One can enjoy kachori for breakfast with aloo ki sabzi or for an evening snack with green chutney .
There are many versions of kachori – dal kachori, khasta kachori, pyaaz kachori, matar kachori , and so on.
Khasta Kachori is one of my husband’s favourite Indian snacks. On any given day he can gulp two to three kachori in one go. Hence, I developed this whole wheat kachori recipe for him.
USP Of My Kachori Recipe
The two key reasons why you should bookmark this khasta kachori recipe are:
- I use whole wheat flour for the kachori dough and it gives the perfectly khasta ( meaning perfectly crisp and flaky ) kachori.
- I use moong dal namkeen instead of cooked dal for my kachori filling. It is a no-cook, vegan, and gluten-free filling that you can use in a million creative ways. I use it for filling mini dal samosa as well.
More Reasons To LOVE My Khasta Kachori
- fuss-free recipe
- vegan and vegetarian snack
- easy to pre-make and store
- perfect for traveling and lunchbox snacks
Ingredients Required
For the kachori dough you need:
- Whole Wheat Flour (Gehun Ka Atta)
- Vegetable Oil (Flavorless Refined Oil)
- Salt, Cold Wate r
For the kachori filling you need:
- Moong Dal Namkeen (Haldiram’s)
- Spices – Red Chilli Powder, Mango Powder, Fennel Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Kasuri Methi, Salt, Asafoetida , Ginger Powder
- Jaggery (Crushed)
- Vegetable Oil
My Tried & True Tips
Make sure to rub oil and flour nicely before adding water. This process needs most of your time and attention if you want perfectly khasta kachori. Both (flour and oil), when combined, must stick together.
Next, add only one tablespoon of ice-cold water at a time to bind the dough. We want a non-sticky, soft, moist, and pliable dough . Knead the dough for 5 minutes.
Cover the dough with a moist muslin cloth. Rest it at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.
Do NOT add too much fat/oil/ghee (moyen) to the flour. Follow the precise khasta kachori recipe measurements. Otherwise, you will end up with soft and non-crisp kachori.
Before making kachori, again knead the dough for 5 minutes . This time, it will become a bit more soft and pliable.
Do not make a fine powder of the filling. A bit of coarse texture is ideal for kachori stuffing.
Do not press the kachori too hard after stuffing. Each kachori is only 2 to 2 ½ inches wide.
Adding too much fat/oil to the kachori dough produces soft and non-crisp kachori. Use ice-cold water for binding the dough and follow precise recipe measurements.
The dry dough or inaccurate thickness of the kachori are the two main reasons for a hard kachori. Do not roll out kachori too thin else, it will become like a papdi.
Always fry khasta kachori over low to medium heat. If you fry them over high heat, they will become dark brown (burnt) from the outside but uncooked from the inside. Keep turning them regularly while frying for even browning and cooking.
It is best not to overstuff the kachori with the filling. Otherwise, the outer crust of the dough will burst while frying. Fill each kachori with only 1 ½ teaspoon of filling.
Watch Khasta Kachori Video
Storing Suggestion
You can store khasta kachori for 1 week at room temperature. In cold climatic conditions, they remain fresh for 15 days.
Make sure to store them in an airtight container away from moist and damp places. Usually, I like to keep them on my dining table or the snacks counter in an airtight container.
More Indian Chaat Recipes
- Matar (Peas) Kachori
- Sweet Potato Chaat
- Dahi Papdi Chaat
- Aloo Tikki Chaat
- Sabudana Vada
- Peanut Chaat
- Corn Chaat
- Dahi Vada
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
For Kachori Dough
- ▢ 150 gram (approx 1 Cup) whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
- ▢ 50 ml (approx 4 tablespoon) refined oil (flavourless oil)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 50 ml (approx ¼ Cup) cold water, to bind dough
For Kachori Filling
- ▢ 1 Cup moong dal namkeen packaged
- ▢ 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- ▢ 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- ▢ 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar or jaggery
- ▢ 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder (saunth)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon mango powder (amchur)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon refined oil
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
Other Ingredients
- ▢ 3 Cup vegetable oil, deep-frying
Instructions
How To Make Kachori Dough
- Mix the flour, salt and oil in a mixing bowl. Combine the mixture using your fingers to get the bread crumbs like consistency.
- Add the chilled water one tablespoon at a time, and start binding the dough. Add water in small portions.
- Once the dough comes together, knead it for 5 minutes. The dough should be soft yet firm to touch. Cover the dough with a wet muslin cloth and let it sit for at least fifteen minutes.
How To Make Kachori Filling
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling for kachori. Add namkeen to a food processor or mixer. Add all the remaining ingredients (spices, salt, and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil) to the mixer. Blend to a coarse powder.
- Transfer to a bowl. We require a crunchy mixture and not a fine powder for the filling.
How To Shape Kachori
- To shape the kachoris, divide the dough into ten lemon-sized balls. Take one part of the dough and with your fingers flatten the edges and make into 3-inch circle just like a small poori. Leaving center little thicker then edges.
- Place 1 ½ teaspoon of filling in the center. Pull the edges of the dough all the edges and join them all together at one place like a dim sum. Flatten the kachori gently with the pressure of your palm. Each kachori is 2 – 2 ½ inches wide. DO NOT use a rolling pin.
How To Fry Kachori
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. To check if oil is ready put a little piece of dough in the oil. The dough should sizzle, and come on the surface immediately rather than sitting at the bottom of the pan.
- Fry Kachori in small batches on medium-low heat. After they start to puff, slowly turn them over. Fry until golden-brown on both sides. Flip them regularly to get even cooking and color.
- Serve Khasta Kachori with sweet chutney.
Recipe Notes:
- I use whole wheat flour for the kachori dough. You can use all-purpose flour and wheat flour in the ratio of 50:50.
- I use moong dal namkeen instead of cooked dal for my kachori filling. No need to cook this filling.
- Do not make a fine powder of the filling. A bit of coarse texture is ideal for kachori stuffing.
- Use the ice-cold, chilled water to bind the dough. U
- Fill each kachori with only 1 ½ teaspoon of filling.
- Do not press the kachori too hard after stuffing. Each kachori is only 2 to 2 ½ inches wide.
- Always fry kachori on low to medium heat for that beautiful golden color, perfect crust, and fully cooked layers.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
