MasterChef: Street Food of the World

India does street food brilliantly with all regions having their own speciality dishes, and from the smallest village to the biggest city you can be sure of finding something delicious on every corner. From breakfast, lunch and dinner to a myriad of tasty snacks in between, you could quite happily eat your way around this continent without once stepping inside a restaurant.

In the northern city of Kolkata, you just have to try kati rolls, a whole meal inside a chapati, consisting of a spiced kebab snugly wrapped in an omelette drizzled in spicy chutney, whilst down in the south the wheat wrap is swapped for the fermented rice and lentil pancake of the masala dosa. The island of Sri Lanka has a bit of a thing for coconut and two of their most popular street foods – the now world-famous egg hoppers, and the less well known shrimp vadai with pol sambol – certainly make the best of it.

Where India seems to truly excel is in delightful snacks, or ‘chaat’, and my favourite is without a doubt papdi chaat, the Indian version of nachos, a colourful dish featuring layer upon layer of different flavours and textures that make it pretty much a meal in itself. Some chaat make perfect little bar snacks – try Druv Baker’s awesome pakoras or the funkily named chicken 65 and it’s clear these dishes were pretty much invented to accompany your chosen tipple.

Seekh kebabs are made with finely processed minced meat so they have a smooth, almost pâté-like texture. Traditionally made in Pakistan with lamb, but beef mince works brilliantly too, if you prefer.

8 metal or bamboo skewers (if using bamboo, soak in cold water for an hour before using to prevent them from burning)

Place the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan and toast for a minute. As soon as you smell their aroma wafting up from the pan, tip into a spice mill or pestle and mortar and grind to a powder. Add to a food processor along with the garam masala, minced meat, onion, ginger, garlic, chillies, coriander and egg. Season generously with salt and pepper and process to a smooth paste. Take a small teaspoon of the mixture and flatten it into a mini patty, then fry in a little oil until cooked through. Taste to check the seasoning and add a little more spice, chilli, salt or pepper if necessary and process once more until combined.

Divide this mixture into 8 even-sized balls. To shape the kebabs, flatten and roll each ball into a cigar shape of about 2cm thickness. Hold firmly in the palm of one hand and carefully insert a skewer in one end and poke it all the way through. Repeat with the remaining balls. Wash and dry your hands and drizzle a little vegetable oil into them, spreading it all over. Take each kebab and gently roll it in your palms to give it a light coating of oil. At this point you can leave the kebabs to marinate for up to 24 hours in the fridge or you can cook straightaway.

To cook, heat a barbecue or griddle pan until hot. Gently lay the kebabs on the grill and cook for 3–4 minutes on one side. Once a golden crust has formed you should be able to turn them over using a fish slice. If they are sticking to the grill, leave them for another minute before trying again. Cook on the other side for a further 3–4 minutes until cooked through.

To make the mint raita, place all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz to a smooth sauce, or use a stick blender to whizz the ingredients in a deep jug. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the kebabs in warm naan bread, drizzled with a little of the raita, and with a couple of lemon wedges on the side to squeeze over.

For westerners, these Pakistani kebabs are unusual in that the mince is cooked before being shaped into patties. The trick to ensuring they hold their shape is to make sure the mince mixture is cooked until it is completely dry before puréeing and shaping. These can be made with minced lamb or beef, depending on your personal preference.

Note: you will need to begin this recipe the day before you want to eat, as the chana dal needs to soak overnight.

Place the cumin seeds, cloves and red chilli into a large frying pan and set over a medium heat to toast for a minute. Tip into a spice mill or pestle and mortar and grind to a powder. Set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to the frying pan along with the onion and fry over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes until starting to soften. Stir through the garlic, ginger and the ground spices and fry for a further minute. Drain the chana dal and add to the pan along with the mince. Fry for a few minutes, stirring to break up the mince, then pour over 350ml water. Season with salt and pepper, cover loosely with a lid and simmer until the meat and chana dal are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking until the mixture is really dry and starting to catch on the bottom. Stir regularly to prevent it from sticking. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Make the chutney by adding all the ingredients to a jug and whizzing with a stick blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and chill in the fridge until needed.

Once the meat and dal mixture is cool, place in a food processor and whizz to a paste. Add 1 egg and the gram flour and pulse to combine. The mixture should be stiff enough to hold its shape. If it’s a little wet, add some more flour. Shape into 4 burgers, place on a plate and cover with cling film, then leave to chill in the fridge for an hour.

When you are ready to cook, add a good glug of oil to a frying pan and set over a medium-high heat. When it’s shimmering hot, add the burgers, frying until crisp, about 4–5 minutes on each side. Keep warm on a plate in a low oven (around 110°C/90°C Fan/Gas Mark ¼).

Crack the remaining 4 eggs into the pan and fry them until cooked to your liking. Set 1 egg on top of each burger and keep warm. Assemble the burgers by adding a little onion, tomato and cucumber to the base of each toasted bun, top with a burger and egg, and finally add a dollop of chutney before covering with the top of the bun. Eat immediately.

These delicately spiced Indian samosas are made with proper samosa pastry. It’s surprisingly simple to make, and the best thing is that you can add extra flavours, in this case a generous sprinkle of spicy black onion or kalonji seeds. These are fabulous with a dollop of mango pickle or brinjal (aubergine pickle) alongside, or with the mint raita.

1 heaped teaspoon garam masala (for homemade see here or use the pav masala shown here)

Make the pastry by stirring the flour, black onion seeds and salt together in a large bowl. Drizzle in the oil and use your fingers and thumbs to rub the oil and flour together, as though you were making a crumble or pastry. Add just enough cold water to mix to a stiff dough – around 6–8 tablespoons – then turn on to a lightly oiled worktop. Knead for 5 minutes until soft, smooth and pliable, then wrap in cling film and set aside to rest while you make the filling.

Add the potatoes to a saucepan and cover generously with boiling water. Set over a medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well.

Set a frying pan over a medium-low heat and add the oil and onion, frying until translucent and starting to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir through the ginger, garlic and garam masala, or Pav Masala, and season well with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 5 minutes before removing from the heat and stirring through the peas and lemon juice. Set aside to cool (spreading the filling out over a large cold plate will speed this up considerably).

Divide the dough into 16 even balls. The best way to keep them the same size is to divide the dough in half, then each piece in half again, then half again, and then half again. Take one ball and roll out on a lightly oiled worktop until it is a circle of about 12cm in diameter. Lay the circle in the middle of your palm and fold a generous pleat into one side to give you a cone shape, cupping your palm slightly to support it. Add a generous teaspoon of cooled filling into the base of the cone and flatten and pinch the edges to seal up. Depending on how soft your dough is you may need to stick the edges with a dab of cold water. You should be left with a wide triangular samosa with a curved base – don’t worry if it looks a touch rustic, it proves you are using homemade dough rather than cheaty filo! Repeat with the remaining balls of dough and the rest of the filling.

Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 170°C/340°F and fry the samosas in batches for 7–8 minutes until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper for a few moments before tucking in.

There are two cuisines that could convince me to vegetarian – Italian and Indian, and this recipe is a perfect example of why I have listed Indian as one of the two. Delicious, simple to prepare with ingredients you most likely have in your fridge and storecupboard and wonderfully evocative of Indian street food. Try different vegetables, different ratios of spices and various heat levels. And always double up on the mint and coriander chutney - there just never seems to be enough to go around!

To make the chutney, place all the ingredients except the yogurt in a blender. Blend until smooth, then stir through the yogurt and season to taste. Set aside.

Place the flours, spices, salt, fresh chilli, ginger and garlic in a large bowl and combine thoroughly. Add the water, little by little, until you have a lovely thick batter (you may need more or less water than 250ml). Stir through half the chopped coriander, the sliced onion, grated potato and cauliflower florets.

Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 170–180°C (325–350°F) (test the temperature by adding a teaspoon of the mixture – when the mixture bubbles, floats and turns golden brown in 45–60 seconds, you are good to go). Drop tablespoon-sized amounts of the mixture into the oil and fry for 2–3 minutes until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Season with the chaat masala, a squeeze of lime juice and the Maldon salt, and scatter with the remaining chopped fresh coriander.

Said to have originated as a cheap fast food for the mill workers of Mumbai in the mid-nineteenth century, this simply translates as ‘bread’ (pav, a soft white roll) and ‘mashed vegetables’ (bhaji). However, the generous quantity of butter, along with the exquisite spice blend, elevates this dish beyond the humble. The spice blend makes double the quantity needed for the recipe; store it in an airtight container for 3–4 weeks and use in place of garam masala.

1 medium red onion, finely chopped, plus an extra ½ red onion, thinly sliced, to garnish

Make the spice blend by placing all the ingredients except the amchur powder in a dry frying pan. Set over a medium heat and toast for a minute or two, until a deep, toasty aroma rises from the pan. Tip into a spice mill or pestle and mortar and grind to a powder, then transfer to a bowl and stir through the amchur powder while the spices are still warm. Set aside.

Add the potato and squash cubes to a saucepan and cover generously with boiling water. Set over a high heat, bring back to the boil and cook until tender, around 15 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Place the cumin seeds in a saucepan and set over a medium heat to toast for a minute. Once you can smell their aroma wafting up from the pan, add the butter and allow it to sizzle and melt before tipping in the chopped red onion and stirring regularly for 10 minutes. Stir through the chilli, ginger and garlic and fry for a further 5 minutes before adding the tomatoes and 3 tablespoons pav masala spice mix. Fry for another 5 minutes until thick and fragrant, then add the cooked potato and squash along with 350ml water. Simmer steadily for 20 minutes until thick and rich, mashing with a potato masher as it cooks. Season to taste with salt.

Heat a large frying pan until hot and toast the rolls, butter side down, until crisp.

Spoon the bhaji into bowls, scatter over the red onion slices and coriander and serve with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over and a roll to dunk in and scoop it up.

A great Indian snack that goes down a treat with a cold beer – these paneer cheese-stuffed chillies are dipped in a gram (chickpea) flour batter that gives a fabulous nutty flavour. This is a recipe that is very easily doubled or even tripled to feed a party crowd. To get ahead, stuff the chillies and chill in the fridge for up to 3 days, then make up the batter and fry just before serving.

Place the tamarind in the boiling water, breaking it up with a fork to make a thick, chunky paste, and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Set a small frying pan over a medium heat and add the cumin seeds, toasting for a minute until you can smell their aroma wafting up from the pan. Tip into a small bowl and set aside.

Prepare the chillies by cutting a slit from near the stem to near the tip; you want to create a slit big enough to get the filling inside, but leave the chilli whole rather than separated into two halves. Carefully scrape out the seeds and membranes.

Once the tamarind has soaked, strain the purée through a sieve into the bowl with the toasted cumin, discarding the pips and fibres. Add the gram flour, season well with salt and pepper and stir to a paste. Gently stir through the crumbled paneer, trying not to break it up too much. Take teaspoons of the mixture and use it to stuff the chillies, pressing all the way down to the tip. (The amount of filling here is about right for 12 ‘regular’-sized long green chillies, but as chillies do vary a lot in size you may find you can stuff a few more or a few less than 12.)

Make the batter by adding the gram and rice flours to a large bowl and stirring through the baking powder, chilli powder and salt. Pour in the ice-cold water, whisking constantly until you have a smooth batter. It should be thick enough to coat the chillies evenly (test it by dipping a clean finger into the batter; it should have a nice even coating). If it’s too thick, add a splash more water; if it’s too thin and runs off, add a sprinkle more gram flour.

Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 180°C/350°F. When it’s hot, dip a few chillies into the batter and place them straight into the fryer. Work in batches of 3 or 4 so you don’t overload the fryer and cool the oil. Fry for about 5 minutes until crisp and golden. Drain over kitchen paper and repeat with the other chillies. Serve immediately and eat while still hot.

Aloo tikki are a classic Indian chaat, or ‘snack food’, typically served from street food carts. Subtly spiced, soft and creamy mashed potatoes are shaped and fried into crisp cakes and topped with a little dollop of cool yogurt and a fiery sweet chutney. They are a triumph of textures and really quite addictive. I’ve made medium-sized potato cakes that will take you about three generous bites to eat, but you could easily halve the size to make canapés for a party.

Add the potatoes to a pan of lightly salted water and bring to the boil. Cook until just tender, about 15–20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the oil to a frying pan and set over a medium heat. When it’s hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds and allow to fry for a minute or so. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the spring onions, garlic and ginger, and season with salt and pepper, stir frying for a few minutes until the spring onions start to soften. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Drain the potatoes well and tip back into the pan, allowing the steam to rise for a couple of minutes to make sure they are really dry. Mash well until smooth, then add the butter and beat until combined. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before stirring through the spring onion mixture, coriander and cornflour.

Take heaped tablespoons of the mixture and shape into balls with your hands, flattening each into a little burger shape. Lay on a plate and leave to go cold, then chill in the fridge for an hour – this really helps to get a lovely crisp outer shell on the aloo tikki when you fry them, so don’t be tempted to skip this step.

While they are chilling, make the date and tamarind chutney. Tip the dates into a small saucepan and pour over 125ml boiling water. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes. Add the tamarind to a jug and pour over the remaining boiling water, breaking up the flesh with a fork and mixing to form a lumpy paste. Set aside for 30 minutes. Add the chilli and cumin to a small frying pan and toast for a couple of minutes. Tip into a spice mill or pestle and mortar and grind to a powder. Set aside.

Once both the dates and tamarind have finished soaking, hang a sieve over the saucepan and strain the tamarind on to the dates, discarding the pips and fibres. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes, after which time the dates should be really soft and plump. Whizz to a purée, either in the pan with a stick blender or in a small food processor, then return to the pan. Add the ground spices and the salt and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Scoop into a bowl and allow to go cold.

To cook the aloo tikki, add a good glug of oil to a large frying pan and set over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering hot, carefully add the aloo tikki, well spaced out, and allow to fry until really crisp and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn over with a fish slice or palette knife and cook for another 3–4 minutes or so.

To serve, dollop a teaspoon of yogurt on top of each aloo tikki, and top that with a little of the chutney. Finally, sprinkle over a little coriander and eat while still hot and crisp.

Softly set scrambled eggs loaded with vegetables, spices and herbs make a spectacular and unusual brunch dish. Traditionally eaten without cutlery, and using torn off bits of bread to scoop up the egg, this is a very popular street breakfast in India to fuel the workers.

To make the parathas, add the flours, bllack onion seeds, sugar and salt to a large bowl and stir together. Pour in the water, mixing with a knife to a crumbly dough. Lightly oil the worktop and tip the dough on to it. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth, soft and elastic. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.

Re-oil the worktop and roll out the dough into a large rectangle, around 35 x 45cm and 5mm thick. Spread the dough all over with the ghee or softened butter then roll up tightly like a Swiss roll. Chop into 12 even-sized pieces. Take one piece and turn it on to a cut end, pressing down firmly to form a disc, then roll the disc out to a rough circle around 17–18cm and 2mm thick. Repeat with the remaining pieces.

Set a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add one of the parathas and cook for a couple of minutes, pressing the surface with a fish slice from time to time to ensure it cooks evenly. Flip over and cook the other side for a further couple of minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in a low oven (around 110°C/90°C Fan/Gas Mark ¼), loosely covered in foil, while you cook the remaining parathas.

While the parathas are keeping warm, you can begin the eggs. Set a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and add the cumin seeds. Allow to toast for a couple of minutes before reducing the heat a little and adding the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or so, until soft and very lightly coloured.

Stir through the ginger, garlic, chilli, turmeric, chilli powder, peas and tomatoes and fry for another couple of minutes. Tip in the eggs, season with salt and pepper and stir briefly to mix. Leave the eggs to set for a couple of minutes before giving them another brief stir; repeat this process until the eggs are softly set. It’s lovely to keep the textures of the soft egg and vegetables a little distinct from each other, and if you stir too often or too vigorously it all becomes a bit mushed up.

Fold through the coriander just before serving. Serve the egg as soon as it has set, with the warm parathas to scoop it up.

Chaat is the term for ‘snack’ in India, and papdi are delectable little fried pieces of dough. Pretty as a picture and an absolute explosion of taste and texture, this is one of my favourite Indian street foods – a sort of Indian version of nachos! You can line up all the elements in dishes well ahead of time, then assemble at the last minute so the papdi stay crisp.

For the papdi, stir together the flours, cumin and ajwain seeds with the salt. Add the ghee or butter and just enough water to bring it together to a firm dough – around 8 tablespoons. Tip on to the worktop and knead for a couple of minutes, then put back into the bowl, cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6. Tip the chickpeas into the centre of a clean tea towel, bring up the sides and dry the chickpeas thoroughly by pressing gently all over. Tip into a bowl and stir through the oil, coriander, cumin and chilli. Season with salt and pepper and stir well to coat. Spread out in a single layer on a baking tray.

Place the aubergine in the same bowl (no need to wash it) and add the vegetable oil, black onion seeds and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Spread out in a thin layer on another baking tray. Put both chickpeas and aubergine into the hot oven and roast for 25–30 minutes, turning halfway through. The aubergine should be soft and tender, the chickpeas crisp and crunchy. Set both aside to cool.

While they are cooking, make the chutneys. Add a splash more water to the date and tamarind chutney to make it easier to drizzle, and whizz up the coriander chutney until it’s a little paler in colour.

Once the papdi dough has rested, roll it out on a lightly floured worktop to a thickness of about 2mm. Prick all over with a fork to stop it from puffing up too much on cooking, then cut the dough into squares of about 4cm. Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 180°C/350°F and fry in 2 or 3 batches for about 3 minutes until crisp and golden. Drain over kitchen paper and set aside.

To make the chaat masala, toast the cumin seeds for a minute or two in a dry frying pan set over a medium heat. Once you can smell their aroma wafting from the pan, tip into a spice mill or pestle and mortar, add the peppercorns and grind to a powder. Add the amchur powder and salt and mix together for a few seconds to combine. Tip into a bowl.

To serve, place a layer of papdi over a large platter for sharing or a few smaller plates. Scatter over some tomato and red onion and top with a little roast aubergine. Add a few dollops of yogurt and chutneys, scatter over the crunchy chickpeas and finish with a sprinkling of chaat masala. Serve immediately.

Kati means ‘stick’ or ‘skewer’ in Bengali, and this street snack, originating from Kolkata in northern India, consists of a deliciously spiced beef kebab, rolled in a double wrap of paratha bread and a thin omelette.

4 metal or bamboo skewers (if using bamboo, soak in cold water for an hour before using to prevent them from burning)

Slice the beef into 1cm-thick strips across the grain and add to a large bowl with the lime juice, oil, garlic and turmeric. Grind the fenugreek, black peppercorns and cloves to a fine powder in a spice mill or pestle and mortar, then add to the beef. Mix together so each piece of beef is well coated, cover with cling film and set aside at room temperature for an hour or so; or if you want to make it ahead of time, you can leave it in the fridge overnight. Once marinated, thread the strips of beef on to the skewers.

To make the parathas, mix the flour, cumin and salt together in a bowl, then add 175ml water and the oil, stirring with a tablespoon to form a stiff dough. Tip on to a lightly oiled worktop and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide into 4 even pieces then roll each into a long, thin snake around 70cm long and about the thickness of your little finger. Starting at one end, coil it up like a snail shell, then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a large, flat disc of about 25cm in diameter and 2mm thick, trying to keep the shape as circular as possible by rotating it regularly. If it starts to stick, add a little more oil.

For the coriander chutney, add all the ingredients to a deep jug and whizz up with a stick blender, adding a tablespoon or two of cold water, just enough to make a paste. Season to taste and set aside.

To cook the parathas, take a large frying pan and set it over a high heat. Once hot, add a drizzle of oil, spreading it over the base of the pan with a scrunched-up bit of kitchen paper. Lay in one paratha and let it cook for a minute or two on just one side until brown and slightly puffed up. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining parathas.

Reduce the heat to medium and add a little more oil. Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and whisk together with a little salt and pepper, then pour into the pan, swirling about to make a large, flat omelette about the same size as the parathas. Once it has set on the bottom but is still sticky on the surface, place a paratha, cooked side down, on to the egg, pressing together firmly, then flip the whole lot over so the uncooked bread faces down. Let it cook for another minute then transfer to a plate and keep warm in a low oven (around 110°C/90°C Fan/Gas Mark ¼) while you repeat with the remaining eggs and parathas.

To cook the beef, heat a griddle pan or barbecue until really hot and sear the kebabs over a high heat until they are cooked to your liking. I like mine crisp on the outside but still a touch pink inside.

To serve, take one of the parathas and spread a generous tablespoon of chutney on to the omelette side. Use a fork to pull the beef off a skewer into the middle and sprinkle over a little sliced onion before rolling up tight. Eat while still hot, wrapping greaseproof paper around the bottom of the roll to make it easier to eat.

A rice and lentil pancake stuffed with a spicy potato filling, the masala dosa is a fabulous vegetarian street food dish from India. The rice and lentils for the batter have a long soaking and fermenting time, and the fermenting process can be somewhat unpredictable, especially in colder climes. So give yourself plenty of time for this recipe. If the batter has not risen after 12–15 hours at room temperature, it is acceptable to help it along with some yeast.

Note: you will need to begin this recipe the day before you want to eat, as the rice and lentils need to soak, then ferment overnight.

For the dosa batter, add the rice, urid dal, chana dal and fenugreek seeds to a bowl and cover with warm water. Leave to soak for 6–8 hours. Do not drain or rinse – you will wash away the wild yeasts and reduce your chances of a successful fermentation. Working in batches, grind the rice and pulses with enough of the soaking water to make a smooth, creamy batter. A high-powered smoothie maker is perfect as it will grind the batter really well, but a liquidiser or powerful food processor would also work. Pour the batches of batter into a large bowl and stir through the coriander and salt. Cover with cling film and leave at room temperature overnight. By the morning, the dosa batter should have risen and be bubbly on the surface. If nothing has happened, mix the yeast with the 2 tablespoons of warm water, then stir through the batter and leave for a further 1–2 hours at room temperature.

Alternatively, if there are promising signs of fermentation on first checking, leave for a few hours longer without adding yeast. If it’s brilliantly bubbly (well done!) you can now transfer the bowl to the fridge to halt fermentation until you are ready to cook – it will keep in the fridge for a few days. At this stage you may need to thin out the batter by whisking through a little cold water – it needs to be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon nicely, but thin enough to spread out to a pancake; the consistency of thick double cream is about right.

To make the filling, add the potatoes to a pan of lightly salted boiling water and cook for 12–15 minutes until tender. Drain well and set aside.

Add the oil to a generous frying pan with the mustard seeds and curry leaves and set over a medium-high heat. Once the mustard seeds start to pop, stir through the onions and chillies and reduce the heat to a minimum. Allow the onions to cook slowly to a soft melting mass, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes. Stir through the garlic, ginger and turmeric and season with salt and pepper, frying for another couple of minutes. Tip in the cooked potatoes and add the butter, if using, to add richness. Stir well over a low heat for a few minutes, mashing the potato a little as you go. Keep the filling warm while you make the dosas.

Take a large frying pan and add a little oil. Set over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, brush it all over the surface of the pan using a piece of scrunched-up kitchen paper. Pour a ladleful of batter into the centre and, using the underside of the ladle, quickly swirl it around to spread out the batter to a thin layer. Allow to cook for a minute or two, then test if it’s ready to turn by lifting an edge with a fish slice. It should be golden and crisp. Flip over carefully and cook the other side. Spoon a little potato filling on to one side and fold the other side over the top. Serve immediately while you make the rest of the dosas, or keep warm in a low oven (around 110°C/90°C Fan/Gas Mark ¼).

There are many theories about how this dish gets its great name, one of which suggests it was invented in 1965, another that it originally contained 65 types of chilli. Either way, it’s a deliciously fiery Indian snack that’s great with a cold beer.

Note: you will need to begin this recipe several hours before you want to eat, or ideally the day before, as the chicken needs time to marinate.

Set a small pan over a medium heat and add the cumin and coriander seeds. Toast for a minute or two until you can smell their aroma wafting up from the pan, then tip into a spice mill or pestle and mortar and grind to a powder. Transfer into a large bowl.

Add the chicken to the bowl, along with the yogurt, rice flour, vinegar, ginger, garlic, paprika, chilli flakes, turmeric and a little black pepper, stirring well to mix. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight if you have time.

When you are ready to cook, preheat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 180°C/350°F. Add about 6–8 chicken pieces and fry for 4 minutes until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and repeat until you have cooked all the chicken.

Add the oil to a wok or large frying pan and set over a high heat. When it’s hot, tip in the cooked chicken, the curry leaves and red chilli, season with salt and pepper and stir fry for 2–3 minutes until the curry leaves have wilted and everything is hot and crisp.

Tip into a serving dish, scatter with the red onion and coriander and serve immediately with lemon wedges to squeeze over.

The creamiest, most fragrant lollies ever, kulfi are made by evaporating whole milk until it’s rich and almost caramelised. The beauty of enriching the milk like this is that you don’t need an ice cream maker to churn and break up the ice crystals; passing this mixture through a fine sieve ensures a velvety texture. Traditionally in India these are made in conical metal kulfi moulds, but I have used a 12-hole lolly mould; dariole moulds or ramekins would also work.

Pour the milk into the largest saucepan you have; a stockpot or jam pan is ideal. Add the cardamom pods and bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce to a medium heat and simmer rapidly for 30 minutes, stirring regularly until the milk has reduced by three-quarters. Stir very frequently towards the end of simmering to prevent the milk from burning. You are looking for the milk to reduce to about 250ml – it will be quite thick and almost granular in texture.

Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, using the back of a wooden spoon to push as much through as possible. Discard the cardamom pods.

Add the condensed milk to the reduced milk and stir until thoroughly combined. Set aside to cool.

Peel and chop the mango flesh, adding it to a blender or liquidiser along with any juice. Purée until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve into the milk mixture, discarding any mango fibre.

Lightly oil the lolly moulds using a scrunched-up piece of kitchen paper to spread a thin, even layer all over the insides. Pour the kulfi mixture into the moulds and transfer to the freezer. Freeze for about an hour or so until the mixture is firm enough for the lolly sticks to stand up straight. Insert the lolly sticks, then freeze again until solid.

Add the pistachios to a small frying pan and toast over a medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. Tip on to a chopping board and chop roughly.

Remove the kulfi from the freezer and allow to warm at room temperature for 30 minutes before removing from the moulds, sliding a table knife around the inside to help ease them out. Roll them in the chopped pistachios and serve.

A fabulously unusual Sri Lankan brunch dish, egg hoppers are coconut and rice flour pancakes cooked with a steamed egg in the middle. Traditionally cooked in a ‘hopper pan’ – a small high-sided wok – that gives the pancakes a classic bowl shape, but a non-stick wok or frying pan is fine.

Note: you will need to begin this recipe at least 6 hours before you want to eat, to allow the batter time to ferment and rise at room temperature; ideally, whisk it up the night before and leave in the fridge overnight to prove slowly.

Add the grated creamed coconut to a large bowl and pour over the boiling water, stirring well until it has dissolved. Set aside for 10–15 minutes until the bowl is just warm to the touch – if it’s too hot it will kill the yeast.

Sprinkle over the flour, yeast and sugar and whisk until smooth. Cover and set aside for at least 6 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.

For the coriander coconut chutney, add all the ingredients to a deep jug and whizz until smooth with a stick blender. Set aside for the flavours to mingle.

When the pancake batter is ready, give it a good whisk to mix through. Drizzle a little oil into a small non-stick frying pan or wok and set over a high heat, spreading the oil into an even layer using a scrunched-up bit of kitchen paper. When it is smoking hot, pour in a generous ladleful of batter, swirling it around quickly up the sides. Crack an egg in the centre, reduce the heat a little and cover with a lid or piece of kitchen foil. Cook for 3 minutes or so until the egg is cooked to your liking.

Use a table knife or palette knife to ease the egg hopper from the pan to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter and eggs. Spoon the chutney over the hoppers and serve.

With the texture and nuttiness of a falafel and the added succulence of king prawns, these Sri Lankan shrimp vadai (prawn fritters) are hugely moreish. The pol sambol is a fiery coconut-based dry chutney that goes well with many spicy dishes – try it with the egg hoppers. Maldive fish flakes are hard to source, but do use them in place of the fish sauce if you can find them.

200g fresh grated coconut, or 150g desiccated coconut soaked in 50ml boiling water for 30 minutes

Soak the chana dal for 2 hours in plenty of cold water, then drain and place in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground, then add the onion, coriander, chillies, garlic, ginger and turmeric. Season well with salt and pepper and process until smooth. Scrape into a bowl and tip in the chopped prawns, mixing them through thoroughly. Take tablespoonfuls of the mixture and shape into balls, flattening slightly into mini patties. Set aside.

To make the pol sambol, place the coconut in a large frying pan and set over a medium heat. Toast, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes until golden in places and aromatic. Remove from the heat into a large bowl. Stir through the onion, garlic, lime juice, chilli powder, fish flakes or sauce, sugar and add a good sprinkle of salt. Taste to check the seasoning: it should be hot, sharp and just a little sweet. Add more chilli, lime juice or sugar, to taste.

Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 180°C/350°F. Fry the vadai in batches for 3–4 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp. Drain over kitchen paper briefly before serving with the pol sambol.

I adore egg curries; if you’ve never made one and are a touch sceptical, I urge you to give this Sri Lankan version a go. Eggs and spices are simply made for each other, and here you have soft-boiled eggs fried until crisp on the outside, served in a generous puddle of curry sauce – perfect speedy post-pub tucker if you get your sauce ready beforehand. You could also serve this as a full meal with plenty of steamed rice on the side.

Take a large saucepan and set it over a medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the coriander, cumin, mustard, fenugreek, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick and bay leaf and toast for a minute. Scoop out the spices into a spice mill or pestle and mortar and grind to a powder. Set aside.

Add the coconut or vegetable oil to the pan along with the onion and stir fry over a medium heat for 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the spice powder, garlic, ginger, green chilli and shrimp paste and stir fry for a further 5 minutes.

Starting from the cut side, grate the tomato halves into the pan until you get down to the skin (discard the skin). Stir well to mix, add 250ml water and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly until thick and concentrated. Season to taste, then add the coconut milk and coconut or palm sugar and simmer steadily for about 5 minutes until it reaches a thick double-cream consistency. At this point you can turn off the heat and leave the sauce until you are ready to eat (once cool, store it in the fridge if you are leaving it for more than 2 hours).

When you are ready to eat, put the eggs in a large pan and cover well with cold water. Set over a medium-high heat and bring to the boil. When they start to boil, turn the heat down a little and simmer steadily for 4 minutes. Drain and run under cold water until cool enough to peel. Sprinkle the turmeric and sea salt over a large plate and roll the peeled eggs around until coated.

Pour 1cm of vegetable oil into a wok or large deep frying pan and set over a medium-high heat. When it’s hot enough (test it by throwing in a cube of bread; it should brown in 30 seconds), carefully add the eggs one at a time using a long-handled spoon. Fry until crisp and golden, about 4 minutes, turning regularly and spooning a little hot oil over the top as they cook, just like regular fried eggs.

Reheat the sauce and divide between bowls. Top each bowl with an egg or two, sprinkle over some coriander and onion slices and tuck in, scooping up the gravy as you eat the eggs with a little naan bread.

Kottu roti (literally ‘chopped roti’) is perhaps the defining street food of Sri Lanka, their equivalent of a burger in terms of sheer popularity. The curry recipe calls for a lot of ingredients and preparation, so I’ve made double the quantity you need, so you can freeze a batch for next time. You could also speed things up by using leftover curry and by preparing the veg in advance, so when you are ready to eat it’s as quick as a regular stir fry. It’s traditionally cooked on a large flat griddle over a barbecue, but a large wok or frying pan is fine too.

Begin by making the spice powder. Add all the ingredients to a dry frying pan and set over a medium heat. Toast the spices, stirring regularly, for about 3 minutes until they are a deep colour and smell deliciously aromatic. Remove from the heat, tip into a spice mill or pestle and mortar and grind to a powder.

Transfer the spices into a large bowl and add the chicken and a tablespoon of oil, mixing well until the meat is evenly coated. Set aside at room temperature for an hour to marinate, or if you want to make it ahead of time, you can leave it in the fridge overnight.

Pour another tablespoon of oil into a large heavy-based pan and set over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, half the garlic and the grated ginger, and sweat gently for 10 minutes until translucent and softening. Add the chicken, increase the heat a little and stir fry for a few minutes until the meat is sealed. Finally, add the tomato, coconut milk, cider vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt, bring to a simmer and allow to bubble and reduce for 20 minutes, stirring regularly.

Once cooked, leave the curry to go cold. You only use half the curry, so freeze the remainder for another time.

When you are ready to eat, heat a large wok, frying pan or grill plate until really hot and toast the roti one at a time on both sides. When they are all toasted, chop into 3cm pieces and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan or griddle and add the leek, spring onion, carrot and cabbage, stir frying over a high heat for a couple of minutes until just starting to colour. Add the sliced ginger, the remaining garlic, chillies, curry leaves, cumin, soy and ½ teaspoon of salt and stir fry for a further minute. Push the vegetables to one side and add the beaten egg, stirring until just scrambled, then mix through the vegetables.

Add the cooled curry, stirring through until everything is really well mixed. Finally, stir through the chopped roti and cook until everything is piping hot. Serve immediately with lime wedges to squeeze over.