BANANA PURI – makes 12

Ingredients:

500ml cake flour, sifted 2,5ml ground cardamom 75ml butter

Pinch of salt

2,5ml baking powder

5ml lemon juice

200ml iced water

250ml melted butter ghee Cornflour for sprinkling Sunflower oil to fry Tinted, roasted almonds – optional

250ml sugar

200ml cold water

1 cinnamon stick

25ml rose syrup

Few drops of pink colouring, optional

Method:

Mix the sifted cake flour, ground cardamom, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Slice the butter into little cubes. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add the lemon juice to the iced water. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add enough iced water to make stiff dough.

Divide the dough into eight portions and roll into smooth balls. Use a rolling pin to work each portion into a paper thin round. Dust the work surface with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.

Place a large piece of baking paper on the work surface and dust with flour. Place the first round on it. Brush the dough with melted butter ghee and then sift over a little cornflour.

Pile the rounds on top of each other making sure that both sides of the rounds are brushed with butter ghee and dusted with cornflour except the top of the last round.

Gently roll out the pile and trim the edges. Apply a little water around the edges - this prevents the dough from opening during frying.

Brush the top of the dough with melted butter ghee and then dust again with cornflour. Roll up the dough tightly to form a swiss roll. Slice the dough into 12 portions.

Place the sliced dough with the layers facing up. Flatten the dough at a 45 degree angle. Roll the dough into an oval or round disc and fold the open edge over and press firmly to ensure its does not open when being fried.

Heat oil in a small pot on medium heat.

Fry the puri one at a time and turn it over only once the bottom is firm.

The puri should still be pale in colour.

Drain on a wire rack overnight.

To make the syrup:

Combine the sugar, cold water and cinnamon stick in a pot. Cook on a medium heat stirring continuously until the sugar dissolves. Simmer until thick syrup forms.

Pour in the rose syrup and leave aside to cool slightly. Tint the syrup with food colouring.

Drizzle a little syrup over the puri and garnish with flaked almonds.

Yudhika’s tip:

Dust with icing sugar instead of sugar syrup.