E ~ Erra Karam Dosa (Version 2)

Event: Blogging marathon #32
Theme: Street food

Being a part of Rayalaseema thru matrimony, I couldn't stay away from a regional treat - the erra karam dosas. This is one dish that still remains associated to street food or small sized food joints there. Not being a part of big restaurants' menu or the franchise frenzy, the recipe still remains to its roots and hasn't been rehashed or revamped so far.
Erra karam dosas are named so because of the erra karam used in the recipe. One version is where these dosas are smeared with a layer of erra karam - a spicy onion chutney and are finished off with a sprinkling of roasted chickpea powder. They are then folded into half and are served with chutney and some more erra karam. I am posting another version common in the region where another chutney made with besan is smeared on the top of dosas before erra karam is applied. 
Check below my earlier posts to get a better idea.
Erra karam dosa  
Erra karam masala dosa.

Along with the dosa batter, we need the following items to prepare this dosa. Bombai chutney, erra karam, pappula podi and also some oil or ghee to make dosas.

 (Besan chutney applied to these dosas usually is very thin compared to the one in the above image.)


1. Dosa batter:
Regular dosa batter is what needed here and so one can follow their own favorite recipe if they have any. My dosa recipe can be found here.

2. Bombai chutney (Besan chutney):
Detailed recipe is here. Follow the recipe as mentioned but omit the tadka, tomatoes, green chillies and cilantro. Just saute one finely minced small onion and turmeric in 1 - 2 tsp oil until translucent and then add besan, salt and water accordingly. Cook until besan is done. The chutney should not be very thick. Also remember that the chutney thickens as it cools and so make it thin.

3. Erra karam:
The essence of the dish lies in this red spicy chutney. This can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. I have earlier provided the recipe here. How the erra karam is going to be depends on one's preference ranging from how the onion is ground to how much the mixture is sauteed in oil. 
Onions can be ground fine or to an almost coarse consistency where you find teeny tiny pieces of onion. I personally prefer to grind the onions fine since that is how my son likes it. Dried red chillies are usually added along with the onion but chili powder can replace them. A pod or two of garlic can be added though I give it a miss. Now let's come to the ground mixture. Some use the raw ground mixture directly, some saute it lightly and people like me saute it until the raw smell of the mixture leaves. My experience tells me that sauteing well is preferred by everyone.

4. Pappula podi / Roasted chickpeas powder: 
Check recipe here. Just roasted chickpeas can be ground along with salt and red chillies. If you don't prefer the spiciness, red chillies can be omitted here since there is erra karam too spread on the dosas. Garlic and /or shredded dried coconut can also be added if preferred.

5. Ghee / oil:  
Both ghee and oil version dosas are made where the ghee toasted ones are naturally expensive compared to the oil roasted dosas. Ghee / oil is used liberally but I don't go overboard regarding the fat. 

Preparation of erra karam dosas:
* Heat a tawa / griddle / shallow pan. To check whether the griddle is ready, sprinkle a few drops of water on the griddle. The water would sizzle and evaporate if the griddle is ready. 
* Pour a ladle full of batter on the griddle and spread it into a thin circle with the help of the backside of the ladle. Take ½ tsp of oil and spread around the edges of the circle / dosa. Cook on low - medium flame until the lower side turns lightly brown. Flip the dosa and again spread some oil around dosa and let it sit for 30 seconds so that it is brown on the other side too. 
* Now again flip it, take a spoon of bombai chutney and spread a thin layer on the dosa uniformly. Next spread a tsp of erra karam over it and sprinkle some pappula podi. Fold the dosa and let it cook on both sides for a few seconds.

* Remove the dosa with a spatula. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. You can just eat the dosas as it is or serve with chutney. Or to make it more special serve with potato masala.

Check the blogging marathon page for the other marathoners doing BM #32. And logo courtesy - Preeti

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