Sri Lankan fish cutlets

Step 1: Boil 14 oz floury potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes until soft. Drain well, let them steam dry for 5 minutes, then mash until smooth.

Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry 1 red onion for 5 minutes until soft, then add 3 cloves garlic, ¾ in ginger, 2 green chillies and 10 curry leaves and stir for 2 minutes.

Step 3: Add 2 tins tinned tuna in brine, drained, 1 ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground and 1 tsp chilli flakes and stir for 3–4 minutes, breaking up the fish, until dry and fragrant. If you use fresh tuna, poach it first until it is opaque and flakes easily.

Step 4: Mix the tuna into the mashed potato with 1 tbsp lime juice and ½ tsp salt. Taste: it should be quite peppery. Cool for 10 minutes so it is easy to handle.

Step 5: Roll the mixture into balls the size of a walnut, about 30 g each. You should get around 24.

Step 6: Dip each ball in 2 eggs, then roll in 4 oz fine dried breadcrumbs. For an extra-crisp shell, dip in egg and crumbs a second time. You can chill the crumbed cutlets in the fridge for up to 24 hours at this point.

Step 7: Heat 3 cups vegetable oil for deep frying in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry 6–8 cutlets at a time for 2–3 minutes, turning, until deep golden all over. A common mistake is frying cold-from-the-fridge cutlets in oil that's not hot enough; they soak up oil and split. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot.