Then mittai

Step 1: Drain 3 ½ oz raw rice and 1 ¾ oz urad dal and grind with as little of 4 tbsp water as possible to a thick, smooth batter that drops from a spoon in a blob.

Step 2: Stir in ¼ tsp red food colour and 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda.

Step 3: Boil 9 oz sugar and ¾ cup water for 6–7 minutes to a one-string syrup: a drop pulled between finger and thumb forms a single thread. Add ½ tsp lemon juice so it doesn't crystallise, and keep warm.

Step 4: Pour 3 ¼ cups sunflower oil into a heavy kadai or deep pan, no more than a third of its depth, and heat over medium-high to 175–350°F. No thermometer? Drop in a small cube of bread: it should sizzle at once and turn golden in about 40 seconds. Keep a lid and a dry tray nearby and never leave the hot oil unattended.

Step 5: Lower the heat to medium (about 325°F). Drop small marble-sized blobs of batter from your fingers or a spoon, 12–15 at a time.

Step 6: Fry slowly, stirring, until the bubbling settles and the balls are crisp with a hard shell and deep red, 5–6 minutes.

Step 7: Drain, cool 1 minute, then drop into the warm syrup for 5 minutes. Lift out onto a plate and let dry. Store airtight for a week.