Fried Brains (Talela Bheja)

Ingredients

• 2 whole Goat brains (Fresh)
• 1 cup Vinegar (Originally '1/2 pint'. Used for poaching.)
• 1 teaspoon Salt (Heaped. For poaching water.)
• 2 cups Wheat flour (Originally '0.5 ratl' (approx 0.5 lb). For batter.)
• 1/4 cup Gram flour (besan) (Originally '1 chhada ni dal' (likely referring to 1 chhatak/2 oz of dal flour).)
• 2 tablespoons Butter (Originally '2.5 tola'. Melted.)
• 1 teaspoon Salt (Flat. For batter.)
• 1 cup Ghee (Estimated quantity for frying.)
• 1 teaspoon Black pepper (Freshly ground. Optional seasoning.)
• 4 cups Water (Estimated for soaking and boiling.)

Instructions

1. 1Soak the fresh brains in cold water for a short while. Carefully remove all the membrane (veins/mesh) from the surface. Afterward, soak the cleaned brains in lukewarm water for 2 hours.
2. 2In a tinned pot (or stainless steel), bring approximately 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the vinegar and 1 heaped teaspoon of salt. Place the brains into the boiling liquid and cook until they become firm. Remove from the liquid and let them cool.
3. 3Mix the wheat flour with enough water to create a thick batter. Add the gram flour (besan), butter, and 1 flat teaspoon of salt. Mix well and let the batter rest for 1 hour.
4. 4Cut the poached brains into pieces. Heat ghee in a frying pan. Dip the brain pieces into the prepared batter and fry until golden brown. Alternatively, you may skip the batter: simply cut the boiled brains into three pieces each (or leave whole), season with salt and pepper, and fry in ghee until crisp.