I’m yet to meet someone who doesn’t bask in the crisp, flaky gloriousness of ghee-cooked paratha. They’re like the classy, generous older sister of chapattis and perfect for scooping up rich curries and daals. You can glam them up any way you like; stuff them with spicy mashed potato, crushed peas, fresh paneer or grated vegetables. My personal favourite is peppery mooli (white radish), but I’m also wild about plain flaky paratha including the ones that are made with fresh coconut milk, South Indian style.

These Jalebi Paratha get their name from the bright orange Indian sweets, Jalebi because of their beautiful coiled shape. To make Jalebi, first a batter is made with flour and yoghurt, which is piped directly into hot oil in coiled circle shapes to create a beautiful ‘spider-web’. The hot fritters are then lifted out of the oil and plunged into a hot sugar syrup spiced with cardamom and saffron until soaked through. They are served warm or cold at special occasions with ‘gathia’, long savoury snacks made with chickpea flour and ajwain seeds. The extreme crystallised sweetness and savouriness of these two dishes together creates a breakfast that will blow your mind.

Jalebi Paratha are made in the same vein as Jalebi as the dough is rolled into a spiral cone shape before being rolled out and cooked on a hot pan with ghee – which is the way my Nanabapu (maternal grandfather) used to make them for his clients as a chef in Nairobi, and then in the UK.

I hold this recipe and its stunning method for creating those layers of flaky goodness close to my heart because it’s the way Nanabapu taught my mum, and then exactly the way my mum taught me. A technique passed down the generations and a skill Nanabapu would have wanted us to share with other paratha lovers. Think of it like making the simplest form of puff pastry; the layers need to be created with plenty of ghee in between, then the dough should be left in the fridge for at least an hour before rolling out, to ensure the layers are trapped and marbled with ghee.

I like to serve these with lots of different dishes including Mung Daal (recipe coming up in my next post), Daal Makhani and Paneer Butter Masala.

Note: If you’re counting the calories, paratha aren’t going to be your best friend. I think that for that amazing flavour, they need to be cooked with ghee. However, you can combine one part ghee, one part groundnut oil at all points ghee is used in this recipe if you must. 

Jalebi Paratha
Makes 10

Ingredients

420g chapatti flour, plus more for rolling
30g ghee, melted plus more for rolling and cooking
Pinch of salt
220ml boiling water

Method

1. Place the flour and salt in a bowl and combine. Make a well in the centre and add 30g melted ghee and the boiling water.

2. Bring together using a spoon until cool enough to handle. Next, knead the dough until smooth, about five minutes.

3. Divide the dough into ten equal pieces cover with a damp tea towel. Follow my instructions below to roll out the dough below or use my illustrated step-by-step tutorial.

4. Take one piece of dough and roll it to a five inch circle. Using a sharp knife, make a cut from the middle to the outside edge. Take a teaspoon of melted ghee and spread over the surface of the dough. Take a pinch of flour and sprinkle over the ghee. Lifting from the slit you made, roll the dough into a spiral cone shape. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the cone – spiral layer side up. Repeat for each dough ball and then place them all on a tray. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for an hour. You can do this up to a day in advance.

5. Remove from the fridge and on a lightly-floured board, roll out one piece of dough to a six inch circle, spiral side up. Place the paratha in a hot non-stick pan and cook each side until lightly golden. Finally, spread each side with a little ghee. This will help give your paratha the perfect, crispy finish. Remove from the heat and wrap the paratha in a tea towel and lightly scrunch it up for ultimate flakiness. Repeat this process for each dough ball. Serve immediately.

Love Sanjana

I’ve been craving cinnamon rolls all week. Soft, buttery bread with crispy edges, heaps of spice and the best part – lashings of sweet icing. Whenever I make Lotte Duncan’s version with maple icing, they fill the house with the most mouth-watering scent of fresh bread.

In fact, I love Lotte’s buttery cinnamon roll recipe so much, I used it as the basis for my Indian-inspired wreath here.

The basic white dough is rolled with a shameless amount of butter, ground cardamom and cinnamon, twisted into a Finnish bakery-style wreath and placed in a hot oven. Once baked, I couldn’t help but drizzle it with icing made with rose syrup (the kind I use to make my Strawberry Cheesecake Falooda), and then scattered with homemade candied lemon peel and pistachios. Need I say more?

Okay, let me explain the beauty of these flavours together…

The spicy cardamom and cinnamon combined with sugar and butter create the most amazing, rich flavour once baked inside the dough. The fluffy bread mops up the buttery juices and almost caramelises the bottom of the wreath. The exposed layers on top create little craters where the caramelised butter collects, making it golden and crusty. A drizzle of rose icing gives it just enough sweetness and perfume to define it as a Bollywood-themed party in your mouth. Oh, and who doesn’t love candied lemon peel?

Cardamom Wreath with Rose Drizzle and Candied Lemon Peel

Ingredients

For the dough:

450g strong white bread flour
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried yeast
275ml lukewarm water
2 tsp groundnut oil

For the filling:

100g light brown sugar
200g very soft salted butter
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom

For the rose icing:

70g icing sugar
2 tbsp rose syrup

For the candied lemon peel:

1 lemon
400ml water
5 tbsp sugar, plus more for coating

To decorate:

20g pistachios, husks removed

Method

1. Combine the ingredients for the dough in a large bowl and bring together using your hands. Knead for 10 minutes. Grease the bowl with a tiny bit of oil and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to rise in a warm place for 90 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix together the ground cardamom, cinnamon and sugar.

3. Next, make the candied lemon peel. Peel the lemons using a vegetable peeler and hold a sharp knife against the underside, slicing off as much white pith as you can. Discard the pith and slice the lemon zest into thin strips. Heat the water and 5 tbsp sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the lemon zest and boil for 7 minutes. Drain and toss in a bowl of sugar. Remove from the sugar and allow to dry on a plate. Set aside.

4. To make the icing, combine the icing sugar and rose syrup, beating well to ensure there are no lumps.

5. Heat the oven to 180C and line a large tray with baking paper.

6. Once the dough has risen, knock it back and give it a good knead to remove all the air bubbles. This will ensure an even rise in the oven, maintaining the shape of the wreath.

7. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle until it’s about 1cm in thickness. Spread the very soft butter all over the surface and then sprinkle all over with the sugar and spice mixture. From the longest side, roll the dough into a log shape. Split the log into two pieces lengthways (I find the easiest way to do this is using a pizza cutter – this avoids any snagging). Press the tops into each other and place one strip over the other, keeping the layers on top. Repeat until you’ve completed the whole log. Bring the ends together and twist to form a wreath. Brush with a little bit more butter and place on a lined baking tray.

8. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. Once baked, you’ll notice quite a bit of butter in the tray. Use a pastry brush to baste this all over the wreath.

9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before drizzling with rose icing and sprinkling with candied lemon peel. Scatter with pistachios and finally dust with a little bit of icing sugar.

10. Serve with Cardamom Chai or Masala Coffee.

Love Sanjana

Who said vegetarian main dishes can’t be as breathtakingly beautiful as a regal, Mughalai-style roast? Created in the same vain as Dum Aloo, Paneer Butter Masala and Shammi Kebabs, this traditional dish from Uttar Pradesh makes a big deal of the humble cauliflower by serving it whole. Yes, whole.

Richly spiced and cooked with yoghurt and creamy cashew paste, the whole cauliflower is treated with more respect than any vegetable could ever wish for. It is first rubbed with golden turmeric, salt and butter, and then roasted in a hot oven to concentrate its flavours and give it an incredible smoky, caramelised flavour. Finally, it’s simmered in the yoghurt and cashew sauce until it sucks up all the spices and becomes juicy and robust.

Unfortunately, Gobi Musallam is an elusive dish I’ve never spotted on a restaurant menu in the UK. They obviously don’t know what they’re missing. Forget boring old Aloo Gobi, this isn’t your average cauliflower curry – this is your secret dinner party weapon you use to impress your mates and astonish any irritating Indian food snobs you might know. Come on, we all know one.

Gobi Musallam makes a stunning centrepiece for the dinner table and is perfect for sharing. Give everyone a large spoon and tuck in, breaking away the tender morsels of cauliflower, peas and spicy sauce. Scoop up with flaky paratha and a splodge of chilli and cumin-spiked yoghurt.

Cauliflower never tasted this good.

Gobi Musallam

Ingredients:
1 whole cauliflower, leaves removed but root left on, rubbed with salt, turmeric and 25g softened butter
100g peas (I use frozen)
50g butter
150g fresh tomatoes, pureed
1 tbsp concentrated tomato paste
240ml milk

For the spice paste:
1 onions peeled and roughly chopped
2 green chillies
12 cashew nuts
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 inch piece ginger, peeled
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 cloves
½ tsp nutmeg
6 green cardamom pods, husks removed
4 tbsp natural yoghurt
2 tsp salt
Fresh coriander leaves, desiccated coconut and kalonji seeds to garnish

Method

1. Place the turmeric-rubbed cauliflower on an ovenproof tray and roast at 175C for 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.

2. Grind all the ingredients for the spice paste until smooth.

3. In a large, non-stick pan, melt the butter then add the spice paste. Cook, stirring all the time until lightly golden brown. Add the blended tomatoes, tomato puree and milk. Allow to simmer on a low heat for 8 minutes. Add the peas.

4. Add the whole cauliflower and baste with the sauce. Cove with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and baste again, cooking for 10 minutes with the lid off. Serve in a large bowl or platter, garnished with coriander leaves, coconut and kalonji seeds.

Love Sanjana

Comfort food doesn’t get any better than a bowl of piping hot, creamy, spicy lentils topped with crispy onions, fried green chillies and crunchy fried spinach.

Urad, or black gram lentils are a staple in Indian homes and are used for making a variety of dishes from simple daals to elaborate Masala Dosa. They’re packed with protein and have a heartier texture than mung beans. Because of their tougher texture, they need to be cooked thoroughly to extract as much of their creamy starchiness as possible. I find the easiest way to do this is to soak the urad daal overnight and cook them using a pressure cooker – something you’ll find in every Indian home, rather than it being just an alien contraption collecting dust in the back of your Nan’s cupboard.

Growing up, I was reared on Gujarati Urad Daal rather than the richer Punjabi version of black gram lentils more popular on restaurant menus around the globe. We were taught that eating urad daal every Saturday (the holy day of Hanuman, the ever-powerful monkey god), we’d become so strong we’d be able to lift mountains. To no surprise, my wrestling-obsessed brother would wolf it down it with plenty of hope and hot, buttery chapattis.

The key difference between Gujarati and Punjabi urad daal is that the Gujarati version has no garam masala, kidney beans or cream. This isn’t to say it’s not delicious but more practical to eat often. However, if I’m honest, the ingredients my native Gujarati version lacked are the things I love so much about the classic Punjabi recipe here. Once you’ve made this version at home, Daal Makhani you get down your local Indian restaurant or takeaway won’t suffice, trust me.

My favourite way to eat Daal Makhani is with Garlic and Coriander Naan, Salted Lassi and nothing more. My recipe may not make you strong enough to uproot mountains like Hanuman dada, but it sure as hell will make you crave a weekly fix every Saturday.

Daal Makhani
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

220g urad (black gram lentils), washed and soaked in cold water overnight
100g kidney beans, washed (I use tinned)
1 tbsp butter
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp ginger, grated
2 large, thin green chillies, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds, ground
1 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
50g passata
900ml hot water
Pinch baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander seeds, ground
2 tsp salt
100ml double cream

Method

1. Heat the butter in a pressure cooker, add the cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, chillies, tomato puree, passata and ground fennel seeds. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the hot water and bring to the boil. Stir in the soaked urad and baking powder (this helps them cook quickly and evenly).

2. Put the lid on the pressure cooker and cook on a medium heat for 35-45 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Stir in the kidney beans, garam masala, ground coriander seeds, salt and double cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Serve with fried onions, fried spinach, fried green chillies and a splash more cream if you like.

Note: Urad daal has a tendency to thicken as it cools so you may need to loosen it up with some hot water before serving.

Love Sanjana

Attention all paneer lovers! There’s nothing more satisfying than taking a big bite out of a crispy, spicy samosa with a fabulous filling. Whether it’s soft potato and pea, hearty mung daal or juicy tandoori paneer, these little triangles of heaven are an iconic element of Indian cuisine.

Let’s be honest, making samosas from scratch is a labour of love and well worth the effort once you’re finally able to take a spicy bite. My advice? Enlist the help of a slave to help with the rolling and folding.

I love nothing more than fresh samosa pastry made with chapatti dough. The hearty texture of homemade dough surpasses unsatisfying filo pastry samosas by a mile. Reminiscent of the samosas made by street vendors in the heart of Mumbai, and the kind Indian mothers make for their families, the roti dough pastry gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

A good tandoori paste is deeply aromatic, hot and sour. The combination of Kashmiri chillies, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and peppercorns makes this paste intensely flavourful and perfect for adding rich flavour to paneer. I make my own at home using my recipe below, however, you can buy it if you’re short of time. I won’t lie, shop-bought won’t be as good.

I use concentrated tomato puree to give my tandoori paste a rich red colour and also to add some of that traditional sourness which characterises good tandoori masala. Not a drop of food colour in sight.

You can also make these using fresh, homemade paneer but to be honest, I didn’t have the patience to press it long enough for it to be sliceable. Another thing worth mentioning is that traditionally, tandoori paste has yogurt in it to tenderise the paneer. Instead of doing that for this recipe, I add some cottage cheese to give it that yoghurt flavour and help bind the filling together (because of the little nuggets of cheese).

A handful of chopped spring onions and coriander gives the filling a hint of green colour and a burst of fresh flavour.

I serve these with sweet and sour tamarind chutney to cut through the richness of the paneer filling. My recipe for the chutney takes just 10 minutes and is delicious will lots of Indian starters. I’ll post a recipe for the chutney later this week. For now, here’s my recipe for the samosas.

Tandoori Paneer Samosas
(Makes 16)

Ingredients

For the tandoori paste:
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
8 black peppercorns
2 dried Kashmiri chillies
2 inches cinnamon
1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
1 star anise
4 cloves
Seeds of 4 green cardamom pods
1 black cardamom
1 tsp fennel seeds

3 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tbsp ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced

To cook the filling:
1 tbsp oil
2 small onions, minced very finely
475g firm paneer, cut into 1/2cm pieces (I did it in rough pieces of various shapes for a more interesting texture than just cubed)
3 tbsp low-fat cottage cheese
150ml water

5 spring onions, chopped finely
Handful fresh coriander, chopped finely

For the pastry:
320g flour
160ml cold water
5 tbsp oil
½ tsp salt

Method

1. Toast the dry spices in a dry pan until lightly aromatic. Tip into a pestle and mortar and grind to a very fine powder. Mix in the tomato puree, lemon juice, sugar, salt, ginger and garlic.

2. To make the filling: heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add the onions. Cook on a medium heat for five minutes. Add the tandoori paste and 150ml hot water. Cook through for 15 minutes, stirring all the time. If the mixture becomes dry, add a splash more water and continue to cook.

3. Add the cubed paneer and cottage cheese. Continue to cook for 5 minutes. Allow to cool and then stir through chopped spring onions and coriander. Set aside.

4. To make the pastry: in a large bowl, mix together the ingredients for the dough. Knead until firm and non-sticky.

5. Get to work rolling out and lightly cooking your fresh pastry sheets (I rolled mine to around 4 inches- step 2). Use my step by step below as a guide. I cook my pastry sheets on a dry frying pan (step 7) making sure they do not brown. You just want them sealed enough so that you can work with them.

6. Sandwiching two circles of dough together with oil and flour and lightly rolling over the top of them (steps 3, 4, 5 and 6) makes the pastry thinner and the whole process a little quicker. When they are cooked, carefully peel them away from each other (step 8), then half the circles into semi-circles (step 9). Wrap these in a tea towel until you need to use them to prevent them drying out.

7. Next, in a small bowl, make a sticky paste from flour and cold water. You will need this to seal the edges of the samosas when you fold them.

8. See my tutorial for folding samosas from homemade pastry below. Ensure the filling is cool before filling the samosas.

9. Heat enough oil in a deep pan to deep fry the samosas on a medium heat until they are golden brown all over. Place on kitchen paper to drain away any excess oil.

Serve with Tamarind Chutney and lemon wedges.

Love Sanjana

Nailed it.

From the moment I set eyes on these Indian-inspired cards by Wild Clove, I was in love. Going together like aloo and gobi, and being the chilli to someone’s paneer is something most Indian food fans can relate to. As for sharing one’s last gulab jamun, I don’t know. I probably wouldn’t.

Luckily, you can win a whole bunch of these cute cards from Wild Clove right here.

• To enter, leave a comment on this blog post and answer the following question:
• What’s your favourite card from the Wild Clove collection?
• Then follow @KORasoi and @WildClove on Twitter (don’t forget to tell us you’ve entered!)

The terms:

• Wild Clove will give away 6 cards of the winner’s choice. You’re able to pick 2 from the food range, 2 from the wedding range and 2 from the birthday range.
• The giveaway is open to international entries.
• Multiple entries permitted.
• The deadline to enter is Friday 1^st February 2013, 9pm GMT.
• One winner will be chosen at random and announced on this post on Friday evening.

Good luck!

TIME’S UP!
Thanks for your entries!
And the winner is:

Congratulations Kavey! Please get in touch with @wildclove who will arrange delivery of your prize!

Love Sanjana

Never will I be a girl who orders a salad in a restaurant. I may be vegetarian but my appetite longs for more than a few pesky leaves. I’m usually the one who eats around the salad that comes with a meal, pushing it to the edge of the plate after it’s been wilted to mulch from the heat of the real food. Often, I need nothing more than carbs in a creamy sauce. Fast.

The simplicity of this pasta is exactly what makes it so special – take just seven ingredients and fifteen minutes and you’ll have an indulgent dinner with a touch of class. Your date, friends or family will believe you really pushed the boat out for them. For best results, don’t admit the truth.

Without a doubt, the star of the recipe is the saffron; simmered in double cream until the cream becomes a pale yellow with a delicate flavour. You’ll only need a tiny pinch for a heap of deep muskiness. It’s important not to go overboard with the saffron; it’s there to lightly infuse the cream – not to make it bitter and turmeric-yellow.

Crisp courgettes give the dish just enough bite to break up the silkiness of the pasta and sauce. For an extra kick, you can add a sprinkle of chilli flakes but I really love the simplicity of the dish without.

I use Gigli pasta for this dish – the flower-like shape envelopes the sauce and the pasta becomes stained with the sunset-yellow colour, making it even more like a plate of ruffled daffodils, speckled with strands of saffron. Having said this, I’ve also tried it with fettucine, tagliatelle and linguine – all are fine.

15 Minute Saffron and Courgette Pasta
(Serves 2)

Ingredients

150g dried Gigli pasta, cooked according to packet instructions
1 large courgette, halved and quartered lengthways, then chopped into 1cm pieces
1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, peeled
300ml double (heavy) cream
½ tsp salt
Small pinch saffron

Method

1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan until foaming. Add the whole garlic clove and courgettes. You want the garlic to flavour the sauce ever so slightly. Sauté for a minute.

2. Add the cream, and saffron and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to reduce for five minutes. Remove the garlic.

3. Add the cooked pasta and combine until coated. Serve piping hot.

Love Sanjana

I remember the days my brother and I would raid the biscuit selection box, grabbing our favourites before the other one could get their paws on them. In our house, it was always the jammy dodgers, bourbons and custard creams that went first.

I first spotted this recipe on The Boy Who Bakes, Edd Kimber’s website whilst doing some last-minute baking for a party. Short, delicate butter biscuits with a hint of vanilla sandwiched with that sweet custard flavour I’ve loved since I was a kid. To say Edd’s recipe is heavenly would be an understatement.

For me, milk and cookies has always evoked memories of ice cold rose milk and shortbread in the summer sun at my aunt’s house. My brother would complain and demand chocolate Nesquik, meaning I got to guzzle down his share of bright-pink rose milk too. Winner.

Combining the two flavours of my childhood was a no brainer – adding a hint of lemon thyme was a last-minute addition which worked a treat.

These make lovely gifts for Christmas (they have that sweet Turkish Delight-feel about them) or are great with tea or coffee after dinner. But my favourite way of serving them is with a glass of cold milk. There’s nothing like a bit of nostalgia around this time of year.

Eggless Rose Custard Creams
Adapted from Edd Kimber’s Custard Creams recipe
(makes 20-25)

Ingredients

225g plain flour
50g custard powder
30g icing sugar
170g butter, cold and cubed
½ tsp vanilla bean paste

For the filling:

40g butter
1 ½ tsp rose syrup
120g icing sugar
2 tbsp custard powder
Lemon thyme for sprinkling

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

2. For the biscuits: Combine the flour, custard powder and sugar. Lightly and quickly, rub in the butter until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the vanilla bean paste and bring together using your hands. If the mixture seems too dry, wet your hands a little and bring together to form a dough. Try to work quickly.

3. Wrap the dough in cling film and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, whip together all the ingredients for the filling. Set aside in a cool place.

5. On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 3-4mm in thickness. Use a round cutter to cut out the dough. Place the discs on a lined baking tray and allow to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

6. Make a few holes in the top of the biscuit dough to prevent it from rising. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

7. Take small amounts of the filling and roll into balls. Take a few leaves of lemon thyme (don’t overdo it) and sandwich the biscuits with the balls of rose filling and thyme, pressing gently and being very careful not to break them.

Merry Christmas!

Spiced Daal and Green Mango in Flaky Pastry

Deep fried starters; once you eat one, you’ll always go back for a second. Fact.

Kachori are like the forgotten little sister of samosa – the underdog starter that accidently slipped through the fingers of Western restaurateurs.

I cannot emphasise enough how good lentils are with sweet, hot and sour flavours. The addition of sour green mango cuts through the richness of the daal and spices and balances the deep heat of the chillies, ginger and cinnamon perfectly.

These kachori are inspired by those sold at the famous Bhagwanjis sweet mart in Mombasa, Kenya. My entire family raves about Kenya-style kachori and these, along with Bateta Vada, are guaranteed to put a smile on my dad’s face. And I can vouch that he has great taste.

Kachori come in all flavours, shapes and sizes. You can stuff the classic flaky pastry with crushed green peas, urad daal or even potatoes. They can be made into UFO-like patties and topped with yoghurt, chopped onions and tomatoes to make chaat, or formed into rounds and served with chutney.

Popular at weddings and parties, the dough and filling for these kachori can be made a day or two in advance, wrapped in cling film and kept in the fridge. Ensure they come to room temperature before forming them and chill again before frying. This will ensure they’re gorgeously crisp once fried.

I toast 1/3 of the mixed flour before adding it to the rest of the flour to make the dough. This will give the pastry added depth of flavour.

The trick to perfect kachori is to ensure the pastry is short, yet pliable enough to wrap thinly enough around the filling without creating holes which may break them whilst frying. Make sure your kachori are perfectly fried by tapping the pastry once they’ve had a chance to cool – they should sound hollow.

Mombasa-style Daal Kachori – Spiced Daal and Green Mango in Flaky Pastry
(Makes 25)

For the pastry:

155g plain flour
70g chapatti flour
40g coarse semolina
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp ghee, softened (replace with oil for vegan kachori)
Around 115ml cold water

For the filling:

100g mung daal, soaked for 2-3 hours in cold water
1 green mango, grated
1 tbsp ginger, minced
4 green chillies, minced
1 tbsp oil
500ml hot water
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp asafoetida
60g crushed sev or gathia (available in most Indian supermarkets. If you can’t find them, use 60g ground peanuts instead)
1 tbsp fresh coriander, very finely chopped
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt

Method

1. First make the filling. Place the soaked and drained daal in a blender with 60ml water and grind to a very coarse paste.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, non-stick pan and add the daal, green mango, ginger, chillies, turmeric, 500ml water, salt and sugar. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure the mixture doesn’t stick and burn. Once cooked, add the cinnamon, coriander and crushed gathia/sev or ground peanuts. The mixture should become like a paste. Allow to cool.

3. Next, make the dough. Mix together all the dry ingredients. Take 1/3 of the mixture and in a dry pan, toast until nutty and fragrant. Add back into the rest of the flour. Rub in the ghee and oil until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water to form a soft dough. If it’s too hard, add more water. Knead for 8 minutes until soft, smooth and pliable. Think pizza dough softness. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for an hour or so.

4. Roll the daal filling into 25 balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Remove the dough from the fridge and give it another knead. Divide into 25 pieces. Remove the daal filling from the fridge. Take the first dough ball and using a rolling pin and a flourless surface, roll into a circle until around 4-5 inches in diameter. Place a ball of the daal filling in the centre and pull the dough around it, pinching the dough closed and removing some excess using the length of your index finger and thumb. Roll the ball gently between your palms ensuring there are no creases or holes in the dough, especially where you sealed. If there are, the kachoris will burst whilst frying and the filling will become really greasy. Repeat for the rest.

6. Refrigerate for around 20 minutes.

7. Heat enough oil in a wok to deep fry the kachori. Make sure the flame is low because they need to be fried slowly. Remove the kachori from the fridge and gently slide them into the wok. Don’t overcrowd it. Each batch needs to be fried for around 20 minutes until deep golden brown; move them around so they get even colouring. Remove from the wok and drain on a kitchen paper-lined colander. They should sound hollow to the tap.

8. Repeat the frying process for the remaining kachori.

I like to serve these with fresh coriander chutney, tamarind and date chutney or fig chutney.