Chegodilu

Step 1: Bring 1 ¼ cups water to a rolling boil in a heavy saucepan with 2 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing) and the drained 1 ⅜ oz yellow moong dal.

Step 2: Turn the heat to low, tip in 9 oz rice flour all at once and stir hard with the handle of a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains and it clumps into a rough ball.

Step 3: Cover and leave off the heat for 10 minutes so the flour steams through and cools enough to handle.

Step 4: Knead the warm dough on the counter for 3–4 minutes until smooth and pliable. If it cracks when you press it, work in a few drops of water.

Step 5: Pinch off marble-sized pieces, roll each into a 7–8 cm rope about as thick as a pencil and press the ends together to make a ring. Lay them on a dry cloth.

Step 6: Let the rings air-dry uncovered for 15 minutes, turning once, until the surface feels dry to the touch.

Step 7: Pour 3 ¼ cups sunflower or groundnut oil into a heavy kadai so it comes no more than a third of the way up the sides. Heat over medium to 160–350°F; without a thermometer, drop in a pea of dough: it should rise slowly with steady small bubbles, not shoot up and brown. Never leave the hot oil unattended.

Step 8: Slide in 10–12 rings at a time and fry on medium for 7–8 minutes, turning, until the fizzing quietens, the bubbles become fewer and the rings are deep golden and sound hollow when tapped with a slotted spoon.

Step 9: Drain on a rack or kitchen paper. They crisp further as they cool; break one open, it should be dry right through. Cool fully before storing in an airtight tin for up to 3 weeks.