There’s always something to put you off when you plan to cook an ambitious meal. A few weeks ago, I wanted to treat some friends to a really lovely Indian dish to commemorate Phagwa and so to pay homage to this vibrant festival, I put together a menu of Caribbean Indian delicacies and North Indian inspired dishes.
My guests would be treated to saheena, kachowrie, pitod ka saag (chickpea flour dumplings in yogurt sauce), subz miloni (seasonal vegetables in spinach and garlic sauce) and gulab jamon.
It all started so well, waking up early to make the saheena and the kachowrie and moving quickly on to the chickpea flour dumplings which needed to be rested and done just before serving.
When Natasha and Rita arrived, I was finishing off the vegetables and doing final prep for the dumplings then disaster struck. A savage cut to my left index finger put paid to my cooking for the evening and as the blood flowed, so did my enthusiasm for cooking. Thankfully, a couple of my friends were able to step in and eventually finish the meal (minus the gulab jamon).
Unfortunately, in the rush to finish the meal and ensure that no one was kept hungry, we forgot to take photos of what turned out to be a pretty good meal.
The highlight of the evening was the chickpea flour dumplings and the tangy and slightly spicy yogurt sauce. I found the recipe for this North Indian dish in Curry, a book edited by London-based chef Vivek Singh. If you can, get your hands on this book as it gives an fantastic range of curry dishes from India and the Indian disapora and breaks down the elements of curry in each region.

Pitod ka saag
750g (1lb 10oz) plain Greek-style yogurt
100g (3½oz) chickpea (gram) flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp ground garam masala
2.5cm (1 in) piece fresh root ginger, finely chopped
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp fennel seeds
pinch of asafoetida
oil for frying

Yogurt sauce
2 tbsp corn oil
pinch of asafoetida
½ tbsp cumin seeds
4 cloves
1 onion, finely chopped
200g (7 oz) plain Greek-style yogurt
2 tbsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp red chilli powder
salt and sugar as needed
2 green chillies, stalk removed and slit into 4
1cm (½ in) piece fresh root ginger, julienned
20g (¾ oz) coriander leaves, chopped
juice of ½ lemon

Method
First make the dumplings. Whisk the yogurt and 500ml (16fl oz) water with the chickpea flour, salt, turmeric, sugar, garam masala and ginger in a bowl. Set aside.
Heat the ghee in a heavy pan, add the fennel seeds and sauté briefly, then add the asafoetida and stir for 30 secs. As the flavours are released, add the yogurt mix and cook, stirring constantly for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick and acquires the consistency of a soft dough. Remove from the heat and transfer to a greased 15cm (6in) square tray or tin. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until set like a cake.
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over a moderate heat and add the asafoetida, cumin and cloves. When they begin to crackle, add the onion and cook for 5-8 minutes or until soft.
Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt with the ground coriander, turmeric, red chilli powder and salt. Add to the onions, stirring constantly and keep stirring as the mixture comes to the boil again to prevent the yogurt from splitting. Once boiling, add the green chillies and 200ml (7fl oz) water.
Bring back to the boil, then cook for about five minutes. Check the seasoning and add salt and sugar to balance the taste, if required. Finish with the fresh ginger, coriander and lemon juice. Keep hot.
Cut the dumpling ‘cake’ into 2.5cm (1in) squares. Heat some oil in a frying pan and, when hot, add the dumplings, a few at a time. Fry for a couple of minutes, until the dumplings have a crust. Serve on top of the hot sauce, or mix into the sauce and bring to a simmer before serving.