Ingredients

• 4 floury potatoes
• left whole
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 100g/3½oz urid dal
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 8–10 curry leaves
• pinch ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp finely grated fresh root ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• crushed
• 1 green chilli
• finely chopped
• pinch salt
• squeeze lemon juice
• 100g/3½ gram flour (chickpea flour)
• pinch salt
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• sunflower oil
• for deep frying
• 50g/1¾oz tamarind purée
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• roasted
• ½ tsp hot red chilli powder
• pinch ground ginger
• pinch salt
• 4–5 tbsp jaggery

Directions

• Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes for 20 minutes
• or until tender to the point of a knife. Allow to cool. Remove the skins and mash the flesh
• then set aside.
• Add the vegetable oil to a large saucepan over a low heat and stir in the urad dal to toast for a few minutes. Add the mustard seeds
• curry leaves
• turmeric
• ginger
• garlic and chilli and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add the mashed potatoes
• mix well and season with salt and lemon juice. Remove from the heat and make 12–16 balls using a mini ice-cream scoop. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
• Meanwhile
• to make the batter
• mix everything together with 110ml/4fl oz water in a bowl. Cover and chill until ready to use.
• To make sauce
• put all the ingredients except the jaggery
• in a large saucepan with 100ml/3½fl oz water. Bring to the boil over a high heat
• simmer for 1 minute then add the jaggery and bubble until thickened.
• Heat the oil in a deep saucepan to 170C or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Taking one ball at a time
• dip into the batter
• shake off any excess and deep-fry for 4–5 minutes
• or until golden. Serve with the tamarind sauce.