Shegaon kachori

Step 1: Rub ¼ cup sunflower oil, for the dough into 9 oz plain flour (maida) and ½ tsp salt until the flour holds together when pressed in your fist. Add ½ cup cold water a little at a time and knead to a soft, non-sticky dough. Cover and rest 20 minutes.

Step 2: For the stuffing, heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a pan over low heat. Add 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 1 tbsp coriander seeds and ½ tsp asafoetida (hing), then 2 ⅞ oz gram flour (besan), and roast 6–8 minutes, stirring, until it smells nutty and turns light brown.

Step 3: Add 1 ¾ oz yellow moong dal, soaked 1 hour and ground coarse and cook 4 minutes more until dry. Stir in 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp dry mango powder (amchur), 1 tsp sugar and ¾ tsp salt. Cool completely and divide into 18 small balls.

Step 4: Divide the dough into 18. Flatten each into a 7 cm disc with thinner edges, put a stuffing ball in the centre, pleat the edges together and seal. Press gently into a 5 cm round.

Step 5: Heat 3 ¼ cups sunflower oil for deep-frying in a deep kadhai, no more than a third full, over low-medium heat. Drop in a pinch of dough: it should take 4–5 seconds to rise (about 300°F). Never leave the hot oil unattended.

Step 6: Fry 6 kachoris at a time on low heat for 12–14 minutes, turning, until they puff, sound hollow when tapped and are evenly golden. Drain on paper.

Step 7: Serve warm or at room temperature with 6 tbsp tamarind chutney; they keep crisp in a tin for 3–4 days.