Surti ponk vada

Step 1: Set aside 3 tbsp of whole 9 oz fresh or frozen ponk (tender green sorghum). Pulse the rest in a food processor with 1 tbsp green chilli and ginger paste and 3 garlic cloves 4–5 times, just until coarsely crushed; you want a rough, sticky mash with plenty of broken grains, not a paste.

Step 2: Tip into a bowl and add the reserved ponk, 1 ⅜ oz gram flour, 1 oz rice flour, 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, ½ oz fresh coriander, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground turmeric. Mix with your hand. It should hold together when squeezed; if it crumbles, add 1–2 tsp water; if it is sticky and wet, add a spoon more rice flour.

Step 3: Heat 2 ½ cups groundnut oil in a kadai over a medium heat to about 350°F, when a pinch of the mixture sizzles and rises slowly.

Step 4: Wet your palms and shape lime-sized portions into rough flat discs about 1 cm thick. Common mistake: smoothing them neatly. Ragged edges are what turn lacy and crisp, so press them flat and leave them rough.

Step 5: Slide in 5–6 vada and fry for 5–6 minutes, turning once, until golden brown with darker crisp edges and the sizzling has quietened. Drain on kitchen paper and fry the rest.

Step 6: Serve hot with 1 ¾ oz lemon-pepper sev and a little 3 tbsp red garlic chutney, the way they're eaten at a Surat ponk party.