Goli baje

Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk 7 oz sour natural yogurt with 1 tsp sugar, ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda until smooth. Add 7 oz plain flour (maida) and 1 tbsp rice flour and mix to a thick, sticky batter, thicker than idli batter, that drops from a spoon in a heavy blob. Add a spoonful of water only if it is too stiff to stir.

Step 2: Beat the batter with your hand or a wooden spoon for 4–5 minutes, until it becomes smooth, elastic and stretchy. Cover and rest at room temperature for 3 hours; it will look puffy and smell gently sour.

Step 3: Stir in 2 green chillies, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 10 curry leaves, 2 tbsp fresh coconut, 2 tbsp fresh coriander and ½ tsp cumin seeds.

Step 4: Heat 3 ¼ cups sunflower or coconut oil in a kadai over a medium heat to about 350°F; a drop of batter should sink, then rise within 3–4 seconds with lively bubbles.

Step 5: Wet your fingers, pinch off small lime-sized balls of batter and drop them gently into the oil, 6–8 at a time. They will roll over by themselves as they puff. Common mistake: frying on a high heat; the outside browns in a minute while the middle stays raw and gummy.

Step 6: Fry for 4–5 minutes, turning, until evenly deep golden and crisp, and a broken one is cooked through and spongy inside. Drain on kitchen paper. Let the oil come back to temperature between batches.

Step 7: Serve straight away with ¾ cup coconut chutney.