Nagori halwa

Step 1: Mix 3 ½ oz fine semolina (sooji), 1 ¾ oz wholewheat flour (atta), ¼ tsp carom seeds (ajwain) and a fifth of the 1 ¼ tsp salt. Rub in 1 tbsp ghee, then knead with ¼ cup water to a stiff dough. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.

Step 2: For the curry, heat 2 tbsp of the 3 ¼ cups sunflower oil in a pan over a medium heat, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, then 1 tbsp fresh ginger and 1 green chilli. Add 1 tomato, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp ground coriander and the rest of the salt and cook for 3 minutes.

Step 3: Add 14 oz potatoes and 1 ¼ cups water, crush a few pieces to thicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in ½ tsp dried mango powder (amchur) and keep warm.

Step 4: For the halwa, warm 2 ⅞ oz ghee in a heavy pan over a low heat and add 3 ½ oz coarse semolina. Stir constantly for 8–10 minutes, until golden and nutty-smelling. Common mistake: hurrying this on a high heat; the halwa ends up raw-tasting and gluey.

Step 5: Meanwhile bring 1 ¾ cups water and 4 oz sugar to the boil in another pan. Pour the hot syrup carefully into the semolina, standing back as it splutters, and stir for 3 minutes until it thickens and pulls away from the pan. Stir in ½ tsp ground cardamom.

Step 6: Divide the dough into 24 small balls and roll each into a 5 cm round. Prick each twice with a fork so it stays flat and crisp instead of puffing.

Step 7: Pour 3 ¼ cups sunflower oil into a deep, heavy pan so it is no more than a third full and heat it over a medium heat to 350°F on a thermometer; with no thermometer, a small cube of bread should turn golden in about 70 seconds. Never leave hot oil unattended, and keep children well away.

Step 8: Fry the nagori in batches for 2–3 minutes, turning, until evenly golden and hard. Drain on kitchen paper.

Step 9: Serve the nagori warm with bowls of halwa and potato curry: crack a nagori, fill it with halwa and eat it with a bite of the curry.