Masala Dosa

Dosa. That just says it all, doesn’t it? I’m yet to meet a South Indian who doesn't love dosa and the 100’s & 1000's of varieties of it. Almost every household would have this for breakfast at least twice a week. My mom used to make them small and thick and fluffy and that’s how we loved it whereas at my husband’s house they love it big, thin and crispy. I love both versions and never can have enough.

For those of you who have never heard of dosa’s before, as per the Wikipedia definition “Dosa is a fermented crepe made from rice batter and black lentils. It is a staple dish in South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. It is also popular in other parts of India, and other countries like Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Nepal, Malaysia and Singapore.”

Today’s recipe is one of the numerous varieties of dosa that’s out there – Masala Dosa. This is simply a thin and crispy dosa stuffed with a beautifully spiced potato filling. Did you know that Masala Dosa was listed as one of the World's 50 most delicious foods compiled by CNN Go.com?? I didn't but then there are some many things in this world I don’t know, so let’s just not go there! Anyways, this dish is a deliciously healthy and fulfilling meal and is quite simple to make if you ask me. It is a bit time consuming but the wait is definitely worth it!

The dosa batter recipe can be used as your base to make your everyday dosa's be it thick and soft & fluffy or thin and crispy, anyway you like it. The basic process is the same; the difference is in how you make the actual dosa. Mine is a very basic recipe and the very first time I've attempted this so I’m putting a disclaimer here. If I've made any mistakes or if you know of a way I can make this better, please feel free to pen your comments and I’ll gladly take them into account next time I make these. And yes, you can be certain there will be a next time! 

Please see my notes below for some handy tips.

MASALA DOSA

Dosa Batter

INGREDIENTS

2 cups uncooked Rice (refer notes)

1 cup Urad Dal (Uzhunnu)

1 cup Cooked Rice

1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds (Uluva)

Water as required

Salt as required

METHOD

1. Soak the raw rice, urad dal and fenugreek in enough water for at least 4-5 hours. I left it overnight.
2. Once ready to grind, wash and rinse the rice and dal mixture and place in a blender/mixie/grinder.
3. Add the cooked rice, just enough water and grind until smooth.
4. Add salt, pour into a pan. Cover and let the batter ferment for 8-9 hours. I again left it overnight in the oven(refer notes).
5. After it is fermented, the batter will rise and your dosa batter is ready to use.

NOTES

• I've used basmati rice for the batter but you can also use parboiled rice or idli rice.
• I used my Philips Mixie as I do not have a grinder and the dosas came out perfectly.
• If you are living in Christchurch or somewhere similar that is cold, you can add a pinch of baking soda to aid the fermentation. I didn't need to add this time but might need this in winter.
• I kept the batter in my oven, switched off & light on. You can also leave it on the water heater but I haven’t tried it.
• Use a reasonably large container to put the batter so it has room to ferment and rise. No need to use air tight container.
• This batter can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just leave outside for about 15-20 minutes if using a refrigerated batter.

Right, now while that is fermenting away you can make the potato masala filling for the dosa.

Potato Filling

INGREDIENTS

3 big Potatoes

1 medium sized Onion  

1 Carrot, grated               

 2 Green chilli

1 tblsp ginger paste (refer notes)

¼ tsp Turmeric powder

Salt

To temper:

3/4 tsp Mustard               

1 tsp Uzhunnu/Urad dal

5 Cashew nuts

Curry leaves

METHOD

1. Wash and pressure cook the potatoes with enough water to immerse them completely for about 3 whistles. Peel off the skin and mash it well. Keep aside.
2. Heat a pan with oil and temper with the items given under ‘to temper’. Let the cashews turn golden but take care not to burn.
3. Add the ginger paste, green chilli, onion, carrot and sauté well until the onion is translucent and soft. No need to brown the onions.
4. Add 1/4 cup water and turmeric and stir.
5. Add the mashed potatoes and mix well. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, add oil if needed.

NOTES

Of course fresh ginger would certainly taste better here, but me being the lazy me opted for the quick and easy option to use ginger paste! J

Preparing the Masala Dosa

Heat your non-stick pan. No need for oil on your non-stick. But if using an iron skillet/tawa spread some oil to prevent the dosa from sticking.
Spread the dosa batter in a circular motion on the pan getting it as thin as you can. Work from the inside to out of the circle, thinning it as you go. 

Drizzle some oil or better yet ghee when the edges start browning and is cooked.
There’s no need to flip the dosa, just spread a ladle full of masala prepared in the middle and fold.

 

You can fold into half or as a triangle, your wish. Repeat with the rest of batter.

Take off the heat and serve hot with some chutney or sambar. Yum!!