Bayagyaw (split pea fritters)

Step 1: Drain 9 oz yellow split peas well and shake them dry in a sieve for a few minutes; extra water makes the batter spit and the fritters soggy.

Step 2: Pulse the peas in a food processor in short bursts for about 1 minute, until they look like coarse, damp breadcrumbs with some half peas still visible. Stop well before they turn to paste.

Step 3: Tip into a bowl and mix in 1 onion, 2 green chillies, 10 curry leaves, 3 tbsp rice flour, ¼ tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp salt. Squeeze a handful; it should just hold together.

Step 4: Stir 4 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 garlic cloves, ½ tsp dried chilli flakes, 1 tsp sugar and 1 pinch salt together until the sugar dissolves, and set aside to mellow while you fry.

Step 5: Heat 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a wok or deep pan over a medium-high heat to 350°F, or until a pinch of batter sizzles and rises straight away. Never fill the pan more than a third full.

Step 6: Take a heaped tablespoon of batter, flatten it on your fingers or a wet spatula to a rough 7 cm disc about 5 mm thick, and slide it into the oil. Fry 4–5 at a time.

Step 7: Fry for 4–5 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and the lacy edges are crisp and quiet in the oil. Lift out onto a rack or kitchen paper.

Step 8: Keep frying in batches, letting the oil come back to temperature between each, until all the batter is used.

Step 9: Serve hot with the chilli vinegar, or break them over mohinga or a rice salad. They keep their crunch for a few hours; re-crisp in a hot oven for 5 minutes.