Dakor na gota

Step 1: Mix 7 oz coarse gram flour (bhajia or ladoo besan), 2 ⅛ oz fresh fenugreek leaves, ½ oz fresh coriander, 1 tbsp green chilli and ginger paste, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 2 tsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp fennel seeds, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida in a bowl. Add ½ cup water a little at a time to make a thick batter that drops slowly from a spoon, thicker than pancake batter. Rest it for 10 minutes so the coarse flour softens.

Step 2: Heat 3 ¼ cups groundnut or sunflower oil in a kadai over a medium heat. When a drop of batter rises to the top in 2–3 seconds with lively bubbles, the oil is ready, about 350°F.

Step 3: Take 2 tbsp of the hot oil and pour it over ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda in the batter, then add 2 tsp lemon juice. It will foam. Beat the batter hard by hand or with a whisk, in one direction, for 3 minutes until it is pale, airy and almost doubled.

Step 4: Wet your fingertips and drop in small lumps of batter, a little smaller than a walnut, 8–10 at a time; they swell as they cook. Don't flatten them. Common mistake: frying in oil that is too hot. The outside browns in a minute and the inside stays raw and gummy, so keep the oil sizzling steadily, not roaring.

Step 5: Fry for 4–5 minutes, turning with a slotted spoon, until deep golden and crisp, with a rough, cracked surface. They should feel light when lifted. Drain on kitchen paper and fry the rest, letting the oil reheat between batches.

Step 6: Slip 6 green chillies into the oil for 30 seconds until they blister, then sprinkle them with salt. Serve the gota hot with the chillies and ½ cup green chutney.