Prep time: 15 minutes + 4 hours soaking. Cook time: 30–40 minutes.

Tip the rinsed lentils into a large bowl and cover with roughly twice their volume of warm water. Cover and leave to soak for 4 hours. Once the lentils have had 4 hours, drain them well, then transfer to a food processor and blitz until you have a smooth, thick, dough-like paste. Stir in the curry leaves, ginger, chillies and salt. You can now store the paste in the fridge until you’re ready to fry.

When you’re ready to cook, get a large tray and line it with clingfilm. Have a bowl of water handy and wet your hands before breaking off a large walnut-sized portion of the paste. Roll it into a ball (easy with wet hands, impossible with dry) and poke a hole through the middle with your finger to make a doughnut shape, then transfer to the lined tray. Repeat with the remaining dough: you should have 10 in total.

Pour the oil into a large saucepan, filling it no more than half full, and heat over a medium heat to 170°C. Gently lower in 2–3 vadas and cook for 5 minutes each side until golden brown and crisp on the outside, using a large slotted metal spoon to encourage them off the bottom of the pan if they stick. You’re looking for a long, slowish fry here rather than a quick in-and-out, because if the outside browns too quickly, the inside won’t fluff up and cook, so take your time and err on the side of lowering the heat – test the first one out of the pan as a cook’s perk, and adjust your temperature for the rest accordingly.

Once they’re golden brown and have had 10 minutes in the pan, use a metal slotted spoon to fish the vadas out, carefully shaking off the excess oil, and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Continue with the remaining dough, and serve hot.