Nepali banana rice-flour ring doughnuts (Sel roti)

1. Mash the banana completely smooth with a fork in a bowl. Add the rice flour, sugar, ground cardamom and melted ghee and rub together thoroughly with your fingers.

2. Pour in the lukewarm milk little by little, stirring until you have a thick but pourable batter, slightly thicker than pancake batter. Cover and rest for at least 1 hour so the rice flour can absorb the liquid.

3. Heat the oil in a smaller, deep pan over medium heat. The temperature is right when a drop of batter rises to the surface at once, sizzling, without browning immediately.

4. Using a spouted jug or a piping bag with the corner cut off, pour a ring of batter about 10 cm across straight into the oil, in one circle, so the end meets the start.

5. After 1-2 minutes, carefully turn it with a chopstick and fry the other side golden brown too. Lift out with the chopstick and drain standing upright on kitchen paper.

6. Serve warm or cooled, with tea or aloo tarkari (potato curry).

Tip: Nepal's festive doughnut, made in great piles for the Tihar and Dashain festivals. The first few rings are rarely perfect: don't lose heart, the pouring technique comes after a few tries.