Brown Rice Masala Dosa

Dosa, a common and popular breakfast choice from South India can be dubbed as the Indian version pancake albeit an eggless and flourless version and healthier to boot. The term 'dosa' usually refers to the ones prepared using ground and fermented batter of rice and black gram though there are a myriad variety of dosas that are prepared using fermented batters / ground but not fermented batters and instant version mixes. 

Among the wide range of delectable dosa choices, the supreme status undoubtedly goes to the masala dosa and is the most popular variety of dosas sold in south Indian restaurants. Dosas filled with a spicy and yummy potato masala and served with chutney and onion sambhar would make a very enjoyable combination for spicy food lovers. And a pat of butter on top, restaurant style definitely increases the flavor factor of a masala dosa. 

Substituting brown rice for white rice makes these dosas healthier and somehow we find brown rice dosas more flavorful than the traditional white rice dosas. The potato filling that is usually served in restaurants or homes is this version though I love and prepare this version more. Coconut chutney is commonly served at restaurants though peanut chutney would be a great substitution for it.

Ingredients for dosa batter:
2 cups brown rice
1/2 cup skinned black gram / urad dal
A fistful of split chickpeas / chana dal
1 tbsp. beaten rice flakes / poha
Salt to taste

Ingredients for masala dosa:
Dosa batter (Recipe below)
Oil / Ghee to make dosas (I use canola oil.)
Potato curry
Coconut chutney / Peanut chutney

 Preparing the dosa batter:
* Rinse rice, dals and poha in two exchanges of water and soak them in enough water to let the ingredients be submerged, for about 3 o 4 hours. Drain the water after the soaking period.
*  Grind the soaked ingredients into a smooth, thick batter using enough water as needed.
* Transfer the ground batter to a container, add salt and mix well. (Choose a container which can hold more than the ground batter since it is going to rise during the fermentation process.)
* Cover  the batter and allow it to ferment overnight or for at least 10-12 hours in a warm place. (I usually leave my batter in my convection oven overnight, with the light on. I don't turn my oven on. This tip really works, if you live in a cold place.)
* If the batter is fermented properly, there will be an increase in the quantity of the batter and appears frothy when stirred.

Making dosas:
* Heat a non stick shallow pan / griddle. When you sprinkle a few drops of water on the griddle, the water should sizzle and evaporate. This means the griddle is ready to use.
* Pour a ladleful of batter on the griddle and spread it into a thin circle with the help of the backside of the ladle. Spread about ½ tsp of oil around the edges of the dosa. Cook on low - medium flame until the lower side turns golden brown. Flip the dosa and cook it  for about 15 to 20 seconds  so that it is cooked on the other side too. Flip again and place about 3 to 4 tbsp. potato curry on one half side and fold the dosa. Remove the dosa with a spatula and repeat the process with the remaining batter.
* Serve dosas with chutney & onion sambhar.
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #69, under the theme 'Flatbreads'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

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Methi Ni Bhaji Na Puda / Pudla

 

In the blink of an eye, we are onto another edition of blogging marathon and I am here this week with some flat breads / pancakes. The first one in the series is going to be these puda / pudla. Methi ni bhaji na puda or the fenugreek greens pancakes fall under 'no grinding and no fermenting' kind. They are instant version and can be prepared on the spot making them ideal for quick fix meals. These are packed with nutrition and taste good along with a chutney or a spicy pickle on the side. We enjoyed them piping hot with chutney.

These are one of the Indian pancakes I cooked keeping last month's mega marathon in mind but didn't get to post it as I was unsure of their origin. I came across these on a Gujarati TV show when I was exploring pancakes from the non-south Indian states. The recipe was based on a combination of  flours and fenugreek greens and it was called a puda. Puda / Pudla aka the chickpea flour based pancakes are common through out the Indian region and a mixed flour version pancakes seemed like a creative cook's imagination than being a traditional Gujarati version. Whether Gujarati or not, I made them anyway on a weekend and even the husband who goes usually grumpy seeing besan dosas ate them without complaining.
 
However I thought of confirming their authenticity and emailed Vaishali as she lives in Gujarat. She promptly checked with her Gujarati friends and came back to me to confirm that pudla are indeed made in Gujarat and the recipe is based on chickpea flour. She of course already knew that but she wanted to be sure. She was also kind enough to add that the addition of other flours and fenugreek greens is indeed giving a twist to the traditional version and I can go ahead with this puda recipe. Thanks a ton Vaishali, for the help.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chickpea flour / Besan
1/4 cup wheat flour
3 tbsp. rice flour
2 tbsp. semolina
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. grated ginger / ginger paste
1 tsp. green chillie paste / finely minced green chillies
1 cup tightly packed, roughly chopped methi leaves/ fenugreek greens
Salt to taste
1/4 cup yogurt
1 cup water
Oil to make dosas

Method:
* Combine all the ingredients except oil in a mixing bowl and make a batter of medium consistency.  

* Heat a griddle and pour a ladleful of batter at the center. Spread lightly with the back of the ladle. Pour 1/4 tsp. oil around the edges and cook on medium flame until it turns golden brown.
* Flip and cook the other side as well, about 45 seconds. Remove the puda with a spatula.
* Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
* They taste good when served piping hot with chutney on the side.
 
These go to blogging marathon #57 and check here to find out what other marathoners are cooking today.

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Kanchipuram Dosa

Event: Blogging Marathon #56
Theme: Breakfast
Country: India

I have been noticing this dosa in the web world for years now but never got around making it though I prepare dosa batter quite frequently. The dosa batter being the prerequisite for the recipe. I kept wondering whether the folks at home would love a spicy version of their beloved dosa and stuck to that apprehension until I tried Kanchipuram idli and Azhagar kovil dosai. Surprisingly the two spicy versions were received well at home and they have become a regular feature in my kitchen.

Most of the Kanchipuram dosa versions I found online were similar and so there was no particular source I can link this recipe to. There seems to be another masala version which has piqued my curiosity and is quite different than the regular masala dosa. Now that is for another time and let's come back to Kanchipuram dosas. If one is used to the regular dosa making, then this recipe would come across as a breeze. The batter used here is similar to the regular version except the addition of yogurt and spices to it. Those subtle changes create altogether a different and yummy version that yields soft, spongy and spicy dosas.

Ingredients:
2 cups rice *
1/2 cup urad dal / black gram
1 tbsp. chana dal /split chick peas
1 tsp. methi / fenugreek seeds
1/2 to 3/4 cup yogurt
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 to 2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1/8 tsp. asafoetida powder
1 tsp. grated ginger
Oil to make dosas (I use canola oil.)

* I used 1 cup of extra long grain rice and 1 cup of idli rice for this dosa. Any Indian variety rice except Basmati can be used.

Dosa batter preparation:
* Rinse rice, urad dal, chana dal and methi thoroughly and soak them in water for at least 3 to 4 hours. Drain before grinding.
* Grind the ingredients into a smooth, thick batter using water as needed. The batter should be on a very thicker side and not be runny.
* Transfer the batter to a container. Add salt and yogurt to the batter and mix well. The spices too can be added to the batter at this stage but I added them just before making dosas.
(The container should be big enough to allow the increase in volume of the batter during fermentation. If the batter is fermented properly, there will be an increase in the quantity of the batter and so always use a container which can hold more than the ground batter.)
* Cover the batter and allow it to ferment overnight or for at least 8 - 12 hours in a warm place depending upon the climate outside. 
* Add turmeric, black pepper powder, ginger and asafoetida to the fermented batter before making the dosas.

Making dosas:
* Heat a griddle / non stick pan on medium flame until a drop of water dropped beads on it.
* Pour a ladleful of batter on the griddle and with the backside of the ladle, gently shape it into a circle. Don't try to spread the batter thinly since these dosas are on a thicker side. Pour ½ tsp. of oil around the edges of the dosas and cook on medium flame until the lower side turns golden brown. Flip the dosa and cook on the other side too if needed. Remove the dosa with a spatula.
* Repeat the process of dosa making with the remaining batter.
* Serve dosas warm with chutney or a side dish of your choice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56

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Pachi Karam Dosa / Pacha Karam Dosa

 
Event: Blogging Marathon #56
Theme: Indian States
My choice: Andhra Pradesh

I am moving to my home state for the final day under this theme and I have saved the best for the last if you ask my husband. He is the reason why I chose to make dosas as part of this week's theme since he loves them to the core. Recently whenever I am doing blogging marathons, especially the mega marathons I am trying to incorporate dishes that are appealing to my husband and plan them when he is not traveling. He feels left out whenever he sees my blog posts and wonders aloud that why he didn't get to taste them or why those dishes were made when he was not around.  

When it comes to dosas, erra karam variety are his favorite without a doubt.  Dosas that are smeared with onion paste aka erra karam, generously sprinkled with roasted chickpea powder aka pappula podi and with ghee drizzled liberally. Erra karam dosas are a specialty of Rayalaseema region from Andhra pradesh. Though these dosas are a popular breakfast / evening snack option there, they are not a part of fancy restaurant menus. These dosas are usually sold from homes or in those 'wall in the hole' kind eateries, where if three sit inside on the only bench present there, a dozen would be standing outside on the street enjoying the yummy, spicy dosas. They are also sometimes referred to as komativalla dosalu (at least in Kadapa town) since mostly Vysyas used to sell them. 
 
Erra karam refers to the spicy onion paste that is red in color because of the red chillies used in the paste. I have already posted two detailed versions of erra karam dosas here and here and the one with a potato masala here. There is another less known twin version of this dosa called the pachi karam / pacha karam dosa referring to the green chillies paste used in the recipe. Obviously this paste would be green in color and adds a spicy flavor to the dosas. For the basic version, pachi karam can be smeared on dosas and sprinkled with roasted chickpea powder. A besan chutney, regular chutney and potato curry on the sides would be an additional bonus. 

This dosa preparation may come across as a laborious one, especially if you are not used to dosa making. However most of the dishes can be prepared ahead and the basic version needs only the pachi karam that can be prepared ahead and the pappula podi that can be prepared ahead and lasts for months. I am posting the pachi karam recipe today and I have provided links below for the rest of the items.

Ingredients needed:
Dosa batter
Pachi karam
Pappula podi
Besan chutney
Potato masala
Chutney
Ghee / Oil to make dosas (I used canola oil.)

Preparation:

1. Dosa batter:
Regular dosa batter is used to make these dosas. One can follow any favorite dosa recipe of their own. My dosa recipe can be found here.
2. 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.
3. Bombai chutney (Besan chutney):
I did not apply besan chutney for these dosas and instead served it as a side dish. If you are planning to make a besan chutney to serve on the side, a detailed recipe is here. If you are applying it as a paste, 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 (as in the picture below) if applying it on the dosas. Also remember that the chutney thickens as it cools and so make it thinner.
 
4. Potato masala:
Recipe can be found here and here.
 
5. Roasted Chickpeas Chutney
Recipe found here.

Pachi Karam / Pacha Karam:
 
Ingredients:
6 onions, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
3 green chillies (I used 3 large, spicy variety. adjust the quantity if needed.)
1 to 2 tbsp. cilantro (Very optional. I added for color and flavor.)
Salt to taste
1 or 2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp mustard seeds (optional)

Method:
* Blend together the onions, chillies, salt and cilantro if using. Garlic can also be added if preferred. Onions can be ground fine or to an almost coarse consistency where you find teeny tiny pieces of onion. (We personally prefer finely ground onions.)
 
* Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When the seeds start to splutter, add the ground paste. Cover and saute it until the raw smell of the mixture leaves.

How to make dosas:
* Heat a tawa / griddle / non stick 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 ladleful of batter on the griddle and spread it into a thin circle with the help of the backside of the ladle. Pour a tsp. of ghee / oil around the edges of the dosa.
* Cook on low - medium flame until the lower side turns golden brown. Spread 1 -2 tsp. of pachi karam over it and sprinkle some pappula podi.
 
* Fold the dosa and let it cook on both sides for a few seconds.(If desired a tsp, of besan chutney can be smeared lightly before the pachi karam is applied.)
 
* Remove the dosa with a spatula. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. 
* One can just eat the dosa as it is or serve with chutney / besan chutney. Or to make it more special serve with potato masala.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56


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Kerala Appam / Palappam

 
Event: Blogging Marathon #56
Theme: Indian States
My choice: Kerala

Now I am moving back again to south India for a batch of yummy Kerala appams. Appam is a pancake made with fermented batter of rice and coconut milk and is equally popular in the neighboring  state of Tamil Nadu and even Sri Lanka where they go by the name hoppers. They get their bowl like shape because of the appachatti, the concave pan in which they are made. 

I somehow had the notion that appams are supposed to be pristine white and got carried away in the process. I did not realize until later that they are supposed to be a beautiful golden brown hued ones as I noticed on the blogs featuring Kerala cuisine. And besides, I didn't have the traditional pan and had to do away with my kadai in which twirling the batter was kinda tricky and so could not achieve perfect shaped appams. Sigh! Now when that is off of my chest, I must admit that besides all that, they do taste really yummy with a delicate coconut flavor and I am in awe at the variety of rice based dosas made in India.

Recipe Source: Kurryleaves
Ingredients:
1&1/2 cups raw rice
1/2 cup cooked rice
3/4 cup shredded fresh coconut
1&1/2 cup water
1.5 to 3 tbsp. Sugar
1/ 4 tsp. Active dry yeast
Salt to taste
Oil to make doss

Method:

* Wash rice with two exchanges of water and drain. Soak it in water for about 3 to 4 hours and drain.
* Grind together the soaked rice, cooked rice, coconut and 1 cup water into a smooth batter using a grinder / blender. (I added salt too at this point though the original recipe mentions to add after fermentation.)
* Add sugar, yeast and the remaining water and grind for a minute to combine. 
* Transfer the batter to  large mixing bowl (to facilitate the rising batter) and leave it in a warm place overnight or 6 - 10 hours depending upon the temperature outside, until it doubles in volume.

* After the fermentation, gently stir in the salt and leave it aside for another 30 minutes. The batter will rise a bit more and turns light and frothy. (I did not notice the second time rising and so have been adding salt while grinding now.)
* Heat appachatti / concave cast iron or a nonstick pan / cast iron or non stick kadai on medium high flame. Gently grease the pan with oil.
* Gently pour a ladleful of batter at the center and swirl the pan carefully to spread the batter into a circle. Cover and cook until the edges turn golden brown. 
* Repeat the steps with the remaining batter.
* Serve appam warm with ishtoo, kadala curry or any other vegetable curry or even a chutney.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56

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Neer Dosa / Pan Pole ~ Breakfast from Karnataka

Event: Blogging Marathon #56
Theme: Indian States
My choice: Karnataka

I chose to go with Karnataka today, a state which is dear to me and where I have spent a major part of my life. I had planned to go with dosa recipes for this week's theme and when it comes to Karnataka, there is no dearth of dosa recipes, that are unique to the region. The famed masala dosa comes from the region and there are of course the yummy Mysore masala dose, Davanagere benne dose, set dose to name a few. I chose to go with neer dosa, a specialty of the Mangalore region for it's simplicity and the ease of preparation.

This post has been long due considering how frequently these are made in my kitchen. I always used to forget to note the amount of water used in the recipe and hence the procrastination. The consistency of the batter happens to be the key to achieve a perfect neer dose. The word 'neer' in the neer dose means water in the local languages of Kannada & Tulu, a reference to the watery consistency of the dosa batter. They go by the name pan pole (pronounced pun-polay) in Konkani language, 'pan' meaning leaf and 'pole' meaning dosa. It is probably a reference to leafy thin consistency of the dosa or the way they served folded, shaped like a leaf. 

Like the other traditional versions, a neer dosa recipe doesn't use any form of lentils and are made using just rice and coconut. The batter does not need any fermentation and so they are quicker to prepare than a regular dosa. The coconut lends a great flavor to the batter and these taste fabulous. A cast iron griddle / henchu or henchina kallu as called in Kannada is traditionally used to make these lacy pancakes. However it is easy to mess up and so one can go ahead and use a non stick pan in case of lack of expertise and be sure to get decent neer dosa. Perfectly made neer dose are light, soft, lacy and are white in color. They are as thin as you probably can get, if not an exaggeration and so one ends up eating more than their usual share. They can be served with any spicy chutney of your choice. And any leftover batter can be refrigerated and can be used the next day.

Ingredients: (Yield 15 dosas)
1 cup rice (Any short grain rice will do.)
1/2 cup fresh shredded coconut
Salt to taste
1 & 1/2 cups water
Oil to make dosas (I used canola oil.

Method:
* Rinse rice thoroughly with water twice and drain. Soak rice in water for about 3 hours or overnight. 
* Drain the soaked water and add the rice, coconut, salt and water to a grinder / blender and grind them to a smooth batter. The batter should be one of a flowing consistency, like the buttermilk. (Adjust the water quantity if needed.)
* Heat a non-stick skillet / shallow pan with a tsp. of oil. Pour a small ladleful of batter at the center of the pan. Immediately hold the (handle of the) pan and gently swirl it so that the batter spreads into a thin circle, covering the entire pan.
* Cover and cook on moderate heat for a minute or so. Once done, the edges of the dosa start leaving the pan. There is no need to brown the dosa or flip it. Fold the dosa twice and serve immediately. 
* Repeat the steps with the remaining batter and remember to stir the batter each time a dosa is made.
* Serve immediately with coconut chutney.

Note:
1. The consistency of the batter is the key in making a perfect neer dosa. A thicker batter will not spread and doesn't yield the characteristic thinner version.
2. Do not stack the hot dosa since they get stuck to each other. 
3. They are best eaten warm.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56

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Kal Dosai ~ Breakfast from Tamil Nadu

Event: Blogging Marathon #56
Theme : Indian States
My choice: Tamil Nadu
We are into second week of BM#56 and theme of this week is going to be "Indian States". Owing to my India trip this summer, I had before hand decided that I would neither do elaborate dishes  nor I would go with festive ones for this BM. I chose to go with  dishes that are simple and doable on any given day and I am starting the series with the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. 

The first thing that pops up in my mind when I think of the restaurants there, is the delicious array of south Indian style breakfast dishes. Yummy dosas, melt in mouth kind idlis, the creamy pongal and the crispy vadas served with delicious sambhar and chutney on the side. A piece of heaven for people like my husband when it comes to food. :)  I obviously wanted to try a dosa recipe that is unique for this region and the one that I hadn't tried before. I zeroed in on this kal dosai that turned out to be spongy, and super flavorful dosas. I paired it with Chettinad chutney which turned out to be a terrific combo.

Recipe source: Veena
Ingredients:
1 cup rice (I used extra long grain.)
1 cup parboiled rice (I used idli rice instead.)
1/2 cup / skinned black gram / urad dal
1 tsp fenugreek seeds / methi seeds
1 tbsp. salt
Oil to make dosas (I use canola oil.)

Preparing the dosa batter:
* Rinse both varieties of rice and urad dal thoroughly twice and drain. Soak washed rice and urad dal in water for at least 3 to 4 hours.
* Rinse the fenugreek seeds with water and soak them in little water separately. 
* Drain the water used to soak rice and dal before grinding.
* Add the rice mixture, the fenugreek seeds along with the water it is soaked in and salt to a grinder / blender. Grind the mixture to a thick batter adding water as needed.
* Transfer the ground batter to a big vessel / bowl. Cover and place it in warm place to ferment overnight or for about 8 - 10 hours.

Making dosas:
* Heat a tawa / griddle when ready to make dosas. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the griddle to test whether it is hot enough to make dosas. The water would sizzle, form beads and evaporate when it is ready.
* Pour a ladleful of batter (about 1/4 cup) on the griddle and spread gently with the back of the ladle only to shape. Don't try to spread thinly since we are trying to get soft and spongy dosas. Take ½ tsp of oil and spread around the edges of the dosa. 
* Cover the dosa with a lid and cook on low - medium flame until it is cooked and you start noticing holes on the top. 
* There is no need to flip the dosa. Remove the dosa with a spatula and repeat the process with the remaining batter. (Traditionally, kal dosas are not flipped and roasted on the other side. However if you think you need to roast the dosa on the other side too, it can be done.)
* Serve the dosas warm with a spicy side dish of your choice - chutney/sambhar/milagai podi.

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Temple Prasadams ~ Azhagar Kovil Dosai / Black Gram Dosa

I was stuck in the rut while planning for the theme of 'Traditional Temple Recipes' this week. As a south Indian, the popular rice based ones kept floating in front of my eyes whenever I thought about it and in fact I even cooked a rice dish. Then to break the monotony, I decided to explore the food cooked / offered in other states' temples than trying the ones I already know about. In the process, I got lucky and came across these Azhagar kovil dosai. Honestly I had never heard about dosas being distributed as a prasad anywhere and this one seemed interesting.
These flavorful dosas are served as prasadam in Azhagar kovil, a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Azhagar refers to the Lord and kovil meaning temple in Tamil. This temple is situated a few kilometers away from Madurai, Tamilnadu. Going by the posts online, I don't think this is a well known dish among the non-locals. I read somewhere that devotees from surrounding areas offer rice and pulses to the temple which in turn are made into these delicious and filling dosas. 

The dosa batter is made with rice and whole black gram and it is flavored with spices before just making dosas. I am not new to the whole urad dal dosas but I was surprised to see how the ordinary dosas were elevated in the taste and flavor departments by the addition of a few spices. They were tasting like a soft version of temple vadas because of the urad dal and the spices. We loved it so much that I have already made it twice in the past two weeks.  
Traditionally these are made into thick, crisp dosas, generously toasting with ghee. One can of course add oil to cut calories but I would highly recommend trying these dosas with ghee. It adds a huge flavor factor, making these dosas stand out. I made some dosas thinner for my husband, who likes dosas that way and for me I made thicker ones. These are spicy and flavorful enough on their own that they do not need a side dish to go with. I noticed that a chutney masks the flavors of the dosa. However if you wish to serve the dosas with chutney, you can go ahead.


Ingredients to make a dozen dosas:
1 cup rice (I used extra long grain.)
1/2 cup whole black gram / Urad dal with husk
Salt to taste
1 tsp. ginger powder / dry ginger
2 tsp. black pepper corns
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 stalk of curry leaves
Ghee / oil to toast dosas (I recommend ghee.)

Method:
* Wash and soak urad dal for about 8 hours in water, such that it is immersed well in water, through out the soaking period. Similarly wash and soak rice for about 4 hours. Or you can soak both rice and urad dal together for about 8 hours.
* Gently rub the urad dal with fingers and discard the husk if you prefer. I decided not to do so. Grind rice and urad dal together to a consistency, thicker than regular dosas. It is ok if the batter is ground slightly coarser. 
* Transfer the batter to a large container. Add salt to the batter and mix well.
* Allow it to ferment overnight or about 6 - 8 hours depending upon the weather.
 
* Grind ginger, black pepper, cumin seeds and curry leaves coarsely.
 
* Add the ground spice powder to the fermented batter and mix well.
* Heat an iron griddle or a shallow nonstick pan. Pour a ladle-ful of batter at the center of the griddle and spread lightly.
* Keep the dosa thicker than the regular version. Drizzle ghee and cook until both sides turn golden.
* Serve them hot.

Check the blogging marathon page to see what my fellow marathoners are cooking for BM#52.

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Tomato Dosas

 
This tomato based dosa is one of our favorites among the dosas I make at home. The tomatoes add a rich color and flavor to the dosas though they are not on the tangier side. It is not an instant kind and so needs some prior preparation like the other fermented dosas. It is not a cumbersome recipe though the list of ingredients is long. Many just go into the batter while grinding. Give it a try if you are bored of the regular dosa varieties and you would not be disappointed.

Ingredients: (for 15 dosas)

For dosa batter:
3/4 cup rice (I use extra long grain rice.)
4 - 6 tbsp chana dal / split chick peas (two handfuls)
1/4 cup urad dal / black gram (A handful)
Salt to taste
To grind:
1 small tomato
3 - 4 green chillies
1/4 cup fresh shredded coconut
To add:
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
2 - 3 tbsp finely minced cilantro
1 tsp cumin seeds

Ingredients for dosa making:
Dosa batter
Oil (I use Canola oil.)

Preparation of the batter:
* Wash and soak rice, chana dal and urad dal in plenty of water for about 3 to 4 hours. Grind it smoothly into a thick batter. Transfer the contents to a bowl, add salt and mix well. The batter rises while fermenting and so chose a bowl accordingly. Allow it to ferment overnight.(I usually soak the ingredients afternoon and grind the batter in the evening.)
* Just before ready to make dosas, grind all the ingredients mentioned under 'to grind' using a little water if needed.
* Add the above ground coconut mixture and the ingredients under 'to add' to the fermented batter and mix well with a ladle.

Dosa making:
* Heat an iron griddle or a shallow, flat non stick pan. Pour a ladleful of batter at the center and spread it with the back of the ladle to form a circle. Pour 1/2 tsp oil around the edges and let it cook on medium flame. When the bottom side turns golden brown and the surface appears dry, flip it with a spatula and pour about 1/4 tsp oil around the edges again. Cook until the other side is done as well.
* Remove with a spatula and transfer it onto a plate.
* Repeat the steps of dosa making with the remaining batter.
* Serve warm with coconut or peanut chutney.

This goes to Blogging Marathon #49, under the theme of "Indian Bread Basket".

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