Banarasi kachori sabzi

Step 1: Drain the soaked 2 ⅛ oz urad dal (split, skinless) and grind it with ¾ in fresh ginger, 1 green chilli and 1 tsp fennel seeds to a thick, coarse paste, adding only a splash of water if the blades stick.

Step 2: In a bowl, mix 9 oz wholewheat flour (atta), ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds), ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing) and 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Add the dal paste and rub it through the flour, then add ¼ cup water a little at a time and knead for 5 minutes to a firm, smooth dough, stiffer than chapati dough. A soft dough soaks up oil and won't puff. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.

Step 3: For the rasa, heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a heavy pan over a medium-high heat until it just smokes, then turn the heat down for 30 seconds; this mellows mustard oil's raw bite. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds and 2 dried red chillies and fry until the fenugreek turns reddish-brown, about 30 seconds. Don't let it go dark brown or the whole curry turns bitter.

Step 4: Add ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing), 1 tbsp fresh ginger and 2 green chillies, stir for a few seconds, then add ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder and 2 tsp ground coriander with a spoonful of water so the spices don't scorch.

Step 5: Add 3 tomatoes and cook for 6–7 minutes on a medium heat, mashing with the spoon, until they collapse into a thick sauce.

Step 6: Add 1 ⅛ lb potatoes, 2 ½ cups water and 1 tsp salt, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, crushing a few pieces of potato to give body. The rasa should stay thin and soupy. Stir in ½ tsp dried mango powder (amchur), ½ tsp garam masala and 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) crushed between your palms, then scatter with 3 tbsp fresh coriander. Keep warm.

Step 7: Divide the dough into 16 small balls. Roll each into an even 9–10 cm round about 3 mm thick, with a dab of oil rather than dry flour (flour burns in the oil). Keep them covered.

Step 8: Heat 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a karahi over a high heat to about 350°F: a pinch of dough should rise at once, sizzling. Slide in one kachori at a time, press it gently under the oil with a slotted spoon until it puffs, then flip and fry for 20–30 seconds more until golden with darker speckles. Drain upright.

Step 9: Serve 4 hot kachoris per person with a deep bowl of the rasa, tearing the kachori and dunking it as you eat.