Bafauri

Soak the chana dal in water for 3–4 hours. Drain and grind coarsely — the batter should have some texture, not be completely smooth.

Transfer the ground dal to a bowl. Add chopped onion, green chillies, grated ginger, minced garlic, coriander leaves, cumin seeds, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt, and oil. Mix well.

The mixture should be thick enough to hold its shape when formed into balls. If too wet, add a tablespoon of rice flour to bind.

Grease your hands with a little oil and shape the mixture into small oval or round dumplings, about the size of a golf ball. You should get about 16–18 pieces.

Prepare a steamer with boiling water. Line the steamer basket with a damp muslin cloth or banana leaf.

Place the bafauri dumplings in the steamer in a single layer, leaving space between them.

Steam on high heat for 20–25 minutes until the dumplings are firm, cooked through, and no longer sticky to the touch.

Remove from the steamer and serve hot with green chutney or tamarind chutney.