For the curd rice

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250g short grain rice (eg jasmine)

100g natural yoghurt

1 tsp freshly grated root ginger

1 tbs finely sliced coriander leaves

5 finely sliced fresh curry leaves

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For the masala spice

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2 tsp chana dal (split chickpeas)

½ tsp whole coriander seeds

¼ tsp black peppercorns

¼ tsp fennel seeds

¼ tsp cumin seeds

10 whole dried Kashmiri chillis

½ tsp sesame seeds

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For the masala potatoes

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3 large waxy potatoes (roughly 700g), peeled and cut into 2cm chunks

¼ tsp black mustard seeds

½ tsp chana dal (split chickpeas)

10 fresh curry leaves

Small pinch asafetida

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1. Cook the rice. Pour it into a large saucepan and rinse loosely under the tap, then drain well. Add 375ml cold water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat right down to low and simmer with a lid on for 10-15 minutes until fluffy. Dish up into a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and allow to cool.

2. Make the spice blend. Roast all the ingredients except the chillis in a dry pan until they start to release their aroma.

3. Blend all ingredients in a spice grinder to a fine powder. (You could do this the old-fashioned way with a pestle and mortar, but you might want to exclude the chana dal as it is hard to reduce to a powder by hand.)

4. Boil the potatoes in plenty of salted water until tender all the way through. Drain and leave to cool.

5. Heat 2 tbs of oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, the chana dal (raw, it adds crunch!), the curry leaves and the asafetida. Once the oil is fragrant and the curry leaves have started to crisp, add the cold potatoes and cook for a few minutes.

6. Add the masala spice and a pinch of salt and continue to sauté for five minutes or until a crust starts to form around the potatoes.

7. Combine the rice with the other curd ingredients.

8. Spoon the rice neatly on to a plate and place the hot potatoes next to it. Season to taste and serve immediately.