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1
Put 1 cup of the chickpea flour, some salt and pepper, the cayenne, asafetida, 1 teaspoon of the turmeric, the coriander, baking soda, and 1/2 cup of the yogurt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine; scrape the sides of the container if necessary.
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2
With the machine running, gradually add warm water, a tablespoon or so at a time, until the mixture forms a smooth paste.
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3
Process, stopping to scrape the sides of the container if necessary, until the mixture is smooth and light.
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4
Add at least 2 inches of oil to a pot (a narrow pot will allow you to use less oil, but a broader one will allow you to cook more dumplings at once).
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5
Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the oil to about 350F (a pinch of the chickpea batter will sink about halfway to the bottom before bouncing back up to the top when the oil is ready).
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6
Drop in the batter by teaspoons (its easiest to pick up a bit of the batter with one teaspoon and scrape it off with another).
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7
Do not crowd; turn the dumplings once or twice and cook them until nicely browned, just 2 or 3 minutes.
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8
As the dumplings finish, transfer them to a bed of paper towels to drain.
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9
Now make the sauce: Combine the remaining chickpea flour and yogurt in a blender with 1 cup warm water; turn on the blender and process until smooth.
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10
Combine this mixture in the blender if it is large or in a bowl with another quart of water.
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11
Put 2 tablespoons oil into a saucepan or deep skillet and turn the heat to medium.
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12
A minute later, add the chile, cumin, fennel, cinnamon, coriander, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds.
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13
Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is soft, about 5 minutes.
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14
Turn the heat to low and add the yogurtchickpea flour mixture, along with a large pinch of salt.
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15
Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
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16
(You can prepare the dish several hours in advance to this point; cover and set aside until youre ready to eat.)
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17
Taste and adjust the sauces seasoning; it should be mild with a touch of heat and quite fragrant.
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18
Fish out the cinnamon stick and the chile (you can eat the other spices).
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19
Add the dumplings and re-cover; cook just until they are heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.
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20
Garnish with the cilantro and serve.
