Kothimbir Vadi

Wash the fresh coriander well. It must be completely dry on the surface before you chop it, since any water left on the leaves will make the dough sticky and it will not hold together.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the packed chopped coriander, gram flour (besan), the rice flour that gives it crispness, crushed groundnuts, sesame seeds, ginger-garlic paste, ground green chillies, turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin powder and the salt.

Work the mixture with your hands. Rub and crush the coriander steadily so the leaves release their own moisture into the flour.

Sprinkle in water a few drops at a time, no more than that. Bring it together until you have a stiff, tight dough with no wetness in it at all.

Apply a sheer lipid (oil) coating to your palms. Segment and mold the rigid dough into densely packed, flawless cylindrical logs, anchoring a strict 2-inch diameter profile.

Heavily lubricate a perforated steamer deck. Position the logs securely and blast with a medium-high thermal steam envelope for 15-20 minutes. A core penetration test with a wooden skewer must extract perfectly clean to confirm protein coagulation.

15–20 min

Take the steamed logs out of the steamer and let them cool completely to room temperature. Slicing them while hot will make them crumble.

Once they are cool, use a sharp knife to cut the logs into discs about half an inch thick, the vadis.

Heat the frying oil in a flat, heavy-based pan until it is hot enough to sizzle. Lower the vadis into the shallow oil.

Shallow-fry them over medium heat. Turn each disc only once the underside has set into a deep golden, crisp crust. Do the same on the other side.

Demand instantaneous consumption straight off the iron.