Ajmeri kadhi kachori

Step 1: Rub ¼ cup ghee or oil, for the dough into 9 oz plain flour (maida) and ½ tsp salt until it holds in a fist, then knead with ½ cup cold water to a soft dough. Rest 20 minutes.

Step 2: Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil, add 3 ½ oz yellow moong dal, soaked 2 hours and ground coarse and cook on low 6–8 minutes until dry and crumbly. Stir in 2 tsp ground fennel, 1 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp garam masala and ½ tsp salt and cool.

Step 3: Make 12 dough balls, fill each with a spoon of dal, seal and flatten gently to 7 cm rounds.

Step 4: Heat 3 ¼ cups sunflower oil for deep-frying in a deep kadhai, no more than a third full, over low-medium heat; a pinch of dough should rise in 4–5 seconds (about 300°F). Never leave it unattended. Fry 4–5 at a time for 12 minutes, turning, until golden and hollow-sounding. Drain.

Step 5: For the kadhi, whisk 10 ½ oz sour plain curd (yogurt), 1 ¾ oz gram flour (besan), ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder and 1 ¼ tsp salt with 3 ¾ cups water until completely smooth.

Step 6: Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring all the time so it does not split, then simmer 15 minutes until it no longer tastes floury; it should stay thin and pourable.

Step 7: Heat 2 tbsp ghee, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing), 3 dried red chillies and 10 curry leaves and let them sizzle 20 seconds, then pour into the kadhi.

Step 8: Break two kachoris into each bowl, ladle hot kadhi over, and top with 6 tbsp green chutney, 6 tbsp tamarind chutney and 1 onion. Eat at once.