Fennel-only sounds lovely, that sweet pop with the nutty besan is hard to beat. I might try a peanut version next time for a bit of crunch. Quick one though, do you temper the spices in mustard oil or switch to a neutral oil for frying the chillies? And do you scrape out most of the seeds or keep a little for heat?
I use mustard oil … and don’t remove the seeds … I’ll also try it with peanut next time 😀
Mustard oil with the seeds left in sounds perfect for that punch. A little amchur or a squeeze of lemon at the end could balance the heat and nuttiness if you like. Do you heat the mustard oil till it just starts to smoke first, or keep it gentle for the fennel aroma?
I heat the oil till smoke start to come … we can add lemon juice if don’t have amchur