Koraishutir kochuri

Step 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour (maida), ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp sugar in a bowl and rub in 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Add ½ cup warm water gradually and knead for 6–8 minutes to a soft, smooth, elastic dough, softer than for khasta kachori. Cover and rest for 20 minutes so it relaxes and rolls thin without springing back.

Step 2: Blitz 9 oz green peas, 1 ⅛ in fresh ginger and 2 green chillies in a grinder to a coarse paste without water. Scrape down once; little flecks of pea are fine.

Step 3: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat, add ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing) and then the pea paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 8–10 minutes until it darkens slightly, loses its raw green smell and pulls away from the pan into a soft lump.

Step 4: Stir in 1 tsp roasted cumin powder, ½ tsp ground fennel, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt and cook for 1 minute. Cool, then divide into 12 balls. Taste first: Bengali kochuri filling should be gently sweet and warm with ginger, not fiery.

Step 5: Divide the dough into 12 balls. Flatten one into a 7 cm cup, set a ball of filling inside, gather the edges and pinch firmly to seal. Pinch off any extra dough at the seam so it doesn't make a thick lump.

Step 6: Press the filled ball flat and roll it out gently with a lightly oiled rolling pin into a 11–12 cm round, about 3 mm thick. Roll from the centre outwards with light pressure; if green shows through in one spot, stop and roll the other side. Keep rolled kochuris covered with a cloth.

Step 7: Heat 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a karahi over a medium-high heat to about 350°F. Slide in one kochuri, wait a few seconds, then press it gently with a slotted spoon until it puffs. Turn and fry for 30–40 seconds more. Bengalis like them pale gold, not brown, so lower the heat slightly if they colour fast.

Step 8: Drain upright and serve hot, 3 per person, with aloor dom (Bengali spiced potatoes) or cholar dal if you like.