Pholourie with tamarind chutney

Step 1: Make the chutney: soak 3 ½ oz seedless tamarind pulp in 1 ¼ cups hot water for 10 minutes, mashing it with a fork. Push it through a sieve into a small pan, scraping the underside, and discard the fibres.

Step 2: Add 3 ½ oz brown sugar, 3 cloves garlic, ½ tsp ground roasted geera (cumin), ¼ scotch bonnet pepper and ½ tsp salt and simmer for 5–7 minutes, until slightly thickened, like runny honey. It thickens more as it cools. Stir in 2 tbsp shado beni (culantro) or coriander and leave to cool.

Step 3: Make the batter: whisk 7 oz plain flour, 2 ⅛ oz yellow split pea flour or gram flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp instant yeast, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp ground geera (cumin) and ¾ tsp salt in a bowl. Add 3 cloves garlic, ¼ scotch bonnet pepper and most of 1 cup lukewarm water.

Step 4: Beat hard with a wooden spoon or your hand for 3–4 minutes, adding the rest of the water only if needed, until you have a thick, smooth, sticky batter that drops off the spoon in a soft blob rather than pouring. Rest for 10 minutes while the oil heats.

Step 5: Heat 1 litre vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F: a drop of batter should sink, then rise to the surface within a few seconds with steady bubbles.

Step 6: Dip a teaspoon in water, scoop a small round of batter and push it into the oil with a second wet spoon or your finger. Fry 8–10 at a time; they often turn themselves over as they puff. Fry for 3–4 minutes, turning, until evenly golden brown and round.

Step 7: Lift out and drain on kitchen paper. Fry the rest, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches, or they'll soak up oil and turn heavy.

Step 8: Serve warm with the tamarind chutney for dipping or spooning over.