South indian masala dosa
Masala dosa is one of South India’s most popular breakfast dishes. It’s made by spreading fermented rice-and-urad-dal batter into a very thin, crispy golden dosa and filling it with a mildly spiced potato masala. The dosa is crispy around the edges but slightly soft inside, while the potato filling is warm, savoury and lightly spiced. It is usually served with coconut chutney and hot sambar, making it a really satisfying meal. It does take some planning because the batter needs time to ferment, but the actual cooking is quite simple. The best part is eating the dosa straight off the hot tawa, when it's at its crispiest.
For the dosa batter:
1½ cups raw rice
½ cup idli rice
½ cup urad dal
2 tbsp chana dal
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
¼ cup poha
Salt, to taste
Water, as needed
Oil or ghee for cooking
For the potato masala:
4 medium potatoes, boiled
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1–2 green chillies, chopped
½ tsp grated ginger
10–12 curry leaves
¼ tsp turmeric
A pinch of hing
1–2 tbsp chana dal
Salt, to taste
About ⅓ cup water
Fresh coriander
How to make it:
1. Prepare the batter
Wash the rice, urad dal, chana dal and fenugreek seeds. Soak them separately in plenty of water for around 4–6 hours.
Soak the poha for about 15–20 minutes before grinding.
Drain everything and grind into a smooth batter. Mix the batter with salt, cover it and leave it somewhere warm for around 6–10 hours, or until it has fermented and increased in volume.
The batter should have a pleasant slightly sour smell when it's ready.
2. Make the potato filling
Heat a little oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. Once they start popping, add cumin, chana dal, curry leaves, green chilli and ginger.
Add the sliced onion and cook until it becomes soft.
Now add turmeric, hing and salt. Add the boiled potatoes and roughly mash them while mixing everything together.
Pour in a little water and cook for another 3–5 minutes. The filling should be moist and soft, but not watery.
Finish with some fresh coriander.
3. Make the dosa
Heat a non stick tawa over medium-high heat, when heated sprinkle some water over it and dry tawa with cloth.
Pour a ladleful of batter into the centre and quickly spread it outward in a circular motion to make a thin dosa.
Drizzle a little oil or ghee around the edges and let it cook until the bottom becomes golden brown and crispy.
Place some potato masala in the centre, fold the dosa and serve immediately.
Do not change the heat in this whole process!
Serve it with:
Coconut chutney
Hot sambar
Tomato or red chilli chutney
Tip: The secret to a really good masala dosa is properly fermented batter and a properly heated tawa. If the tawa is too cold, the dosa won't become properly crisp; if it's extremely hot, the batter will be difficult to spread.