Bengali bori

Step 1: Drain 9 oz skinned split urad dal (biulir dal) well; it should snap easily when pressed with a fingernail.

Step 2: Grind it in a blender or wet grinder to a very thick, smooth paste, adding 3 tbsp water a spoon at a time only when the blades stop moving. The paste should hold its shape on a spoon.

Step 3: Tip the paste into a wide bowl and beat it with your hand in a circular motion for 10–12 minutes, until it turns pale, fluffy and nearly doubles. A blob dropped into water should float.

Step 4: Fold in 1 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji), 1 tsp fresh ginger, ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida and ½ tsp salt with a few strokes, without knocking out the air.

Step 5: Grease a clean cotton cloth or steel trays with 1 tsp mustard oil. Pinch up a marble-sized amount of paste between your thumb and fingers and drop it onto the cloth with a twist so it forms a little peak. Repeat, 2 cm apart.

Step 6: Dry the bori in strong sun for 2–3 days, bringing them in at night. After the first day, peel them off and turn them over. They are done when they are completely hard, sound hollow when dropped and break cleanly with no damp centre.

Step 7: Store in a dry, airtight jar for up to 6 months; discard any that smell sour or show mould. To use, heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a pan over a medium-low heat and fry a handful for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until golden. Set them aside and add them to the curry in the last 5 minutes so they soften without falling apart.