Blend the 200 g split peas together with salt, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, nigella seeds, and 2 green chilies.

Blend until you have a suitable mixture for making the fritters. Add water only as needed while blending.

Because the salt, turmeric, nigella seeds, and green chilies are already added to the lentil mixture, you don't need to add additional seasoning to the fritters before frying.

Peel the green papaya and cut it into pieces.

Boil the papaya in salted water until it becomes tender enough to use in the curry. Drain and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan and fry portions of the prepared lentil mixture to make the dal bora.

Fry until the fritters are cooked and nicely browned. Remove them from the oil and set aside.

In the same oil, add the 3 medium-large potatoes.

Season them with a little salt and fry until they become reddish-brown.

You can fry the potatoes more or less depending on how browned you prefer them.

Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Using the same pan, prepare the tempering with:

2 dried red chilies

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 teaspoon whole garam masala

Let the whole spices release their aroma.

Add the ginger-cumin paste, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and red chili powder.

Cook the spices well, stirring as needed so they become properly incorporated into the oil.

This step is important because properly cooked spices give the curry a deeper flavor.

Add the fried potatoes and boiled green papaya to the cooked spices.

Stir everything together for a little while so the vegetables become coated with the spice mixture.

Add water to the pan to create the curry gravy.

Keep the curry fairly watery at this stage. The potatoes and lentil fritters will absorb some of the liquid as they cook.

Bring the curry to a simmer and allow the flavors to combine.

For extra body and a richer texture, take some of the blended lentil mixture and mix it into the gravy.

Stir well so the lentil paste blends smoothly into the curry.

Toward the end of cooking, add:

2 green chilies

Fried lentil fritters

2/3 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder

1/2 teaspoon ghee

Stir gently so the fritters remain intact while absorbing some of the flavorful gravy.

Once the fritters have been added, simmer the curry for 3–4 minutes over low heat.

Then turn off the stove.

The curry should still look relatively watery when you finish cooking. As it rests, the potatoes and lentil fritters gradually absorb the gravy, making the final texture thicker and more coated.