Beguni

Sift the chickpea flour and rice flour into a bowl, add the turmeric, ground red pepper, sugar and half of the salt. Pour in cold water and whisk to a smooth, lump-free thin batter. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Wash and pat dry the eggplant, then cut it lengthwise into thin slices about 3–5 mm thick.

Sprinkle the slices with the remaining salt and leave them in a colander for 10 minutes to drain off excess moisture. Blot the surface dry with a paper towel.

Pour mustard oil into a deep frying pan or a kadai and heat it to about 190°C; a drop of batter should immediately float to the surface.

Give the batter another stir. Dip each eggplant slice so it's coated on both sides, let the excess drip off, and carefully lower it into the hot oil.

Fry in batches: after adding the slices, reduce the heat to medium, flip after 1 minute, and fry for a total of 4–5 minutes, turning several times, until evenly golden brown on the outside and tender inside.

Lift the beguni out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel and serve immediately while hot.