Gatte ki sabzi

Step 1: Mix 5 ½ oz gram flour (besan), ½ tsp red chilli powder, ¼ tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds) (rubbed between your palms to wake it up), ½ tsp ground coriander and ½ tsp salt. Rub in 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 2 tbsp plain yogurt, then add 3 tbsp water a spoon at a time to make a firm, smooth dough. Too soft and the gatte split in the water; too dry and they crack.

Step 2: Oil your hands and roll the dough into 4 logs about 1.5 cm thick. Bring 4 ¼ cups water to a rolling boil, slide in the logs and boil over a medium heat for 10–12 minutes. They are done when they float, look paler with tiny blisters on the surface and a skewer comes out clean.

Step 3: Lift the logs out, keep the cooking water and let them cool for 5 minutes. Slice into 1.5 cm rounds. Many cooks shallow-fry the rounds until golden at this point for extra flavour; it's optional.

Step 4: Whisk 9 oz plain yogurt with 1 tsp red chilli powder, 2 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 150 ml of the gatte water until completely smooth. Mixing the spices into the yogurt first stops them burning and helps the yogurt stay stable.

Step 5: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pan over a medium heat. Add ½ tsp mustard seeds and 1 tsp cumin seeds; when the mustard crackles, add ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing) and 1 bay leaf, then 1 tbsp ginger and green chilli paste, and fry for 30–40 seconds until the raw smell is gone.

Step 6: Turn the heat to low and pour in the yogurt mixture, stirring constantly in one direction. Keep stirring until it comes to a simmer; if you stop or the heat is too high, the yogurt will curdle into grains.

Step 7: Add another 200 ml of gatte water, 1 tsp salt and the gatte. Simmer uncovered over a low-medium heat for 8–10 minutes, until the gravy thickens to a pouring-cream consistency and the gatte have swelled slightly and turned soft right through.

Step 8: Crush 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) between your palms over the pan and stir in ½ tsp garam masala. The gravy thickens as it stands, so loosen it with a little more gatte water before serving, scattered with 2 tbsp fresh coriander.