Ragi mudde with bassaru

Step 1: Put 3 ½ oz toor dal, 7 oz dill, spinach or amaranth leaves, 3 ½ oz green beans, 1 small onion, 1 tomato and ¼ tsp ground turmeric in a pan with 3 ¾ cups water. Bring to the boil, then simmer on a low-medium heat, partly covered, for 25 minutes, until the dal is completely soft and the greens are dark and silky.

Step 2: Meanwhile, toast 4 dried red chillies, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds and ½ tsp black peppercorns in a dry pan over a low heat for 2 minutes until fragrant. Grind them with 1 ⅜ oz fresh grated coconut, 4 garlic cloves, 3 shallots, 1 tsp tamarind paste and a splash of water to a smooth paste.

Step 3: Tip the cooked dal and greens into a sieve over a bowl. Keep the liquid; this is the bassaru. Set the solids aside to serve as a dry palya with a pinch of ⅓ tsp salt.

Step 4: Return the liquid to the pan with the ground paste and the rest of 1 ¼ tsp salt. Simmer for 8–10 minutes on a medium heat, until it smells of roasted pepper and coriander and a thin layer of oil floats on top. Add a little water if it is thicker than a soup.

Step 5: For the tempering, heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a small pan, add 1 tsp black mustard seeds and let it pop, then add 10 curry leaves and ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida; they crackle within seconds. Pour over the bassaru.

Step 6: For the mudde, bring 2 cups water and ½ tsp salt to a rolling boil in a heavy pan. Take out about 100 ml of the hot water and keep it in a cup.

Step 7: Lower the heat to medium and tip all of 9 oz ragi (finger millet) flour into the centre of the boiling water in a mound. Common mistake: stirring straight away, which gives a lumpy mess. Leave it untouched for 2–3 minutes, so the water steams the flour from below.

Step 8: Now stir hard with the handle of a wooden spoon, pressing the flour against the sides, for 3–4 minutes. Add some of the reserved water if it is too stiff to move. It is done when it turns from reddish-brown to a darker, glossy brown, smells nutty and no dry flour is left.

Step 9: Wet your hands and a bowl with water (or rub with 1 tsp ghee or coconut oil). Scoop out a portion, roll it in the wet bowl into a smooth ball the size of an orange and repeat. Serve the mudde hot with bowls of bassaru and the palya on the side.