Masala Dosa and Chutneys

 Dosa! The favourite breakfast of every South Indian. We had a few guests over last week and they were very curious about how dosas were made. This scrumptious tuesday, I share with you my Recipe for Masala Dosa along with two chutneys. Onion and Groundnut.

 The Dosa is a savory crepe or pancake made with lentils and rice. It is one of the staple breakfast meals in south India and is equally loved every where else.

Do remember that for the batter, different people have different measurements. Experiment with the ratios to see how you like you dosa.

You will need: 

For the Batter

• 2 Cups Rice
• 1 cup Urad dal (Black gram)
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
• Salt to taste

For the Masala

• 2 potatoes, Boiled and mashed
• 3-4 green chillies
• 1 medium onion finely  chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 tsp cooking oil
• Finely chopped corriander leaves
• Finely chopped ginger 1 tspn

For the Onion Chutney

• 2 Large onions roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp corriander seeds (dhaniya)
• 2 Dried red chillies
• Salt to taste
• a little jaggery
• Tamarind , the size of a gooseberry
• Oil 1 tspn

For the Groundnut Chutney 

• 1/2 cup ground nuts
• 2 green chillis
• 2 garlic cloves
• Tamarind, the size of a lemon
• salt to taste
• curry leaves
• Oil 1 tspn

The Procedure

The batter

Soak all the ingredients except salt for at least six hours. Grind to a fine paste, add salt and water. The batter should be a runny consistency. Keep this batter aside to ferment for a few hours / overnight. I live in a cold country so I leave the batter next to the radiator to ferment.

The Masala

Heat oil in a pan, add the green chillies and the ginger. Stir until lightly fried, now add the chopped onions. Fry until transparent. Now add the mashed potatoes and mix well. Finally, add the salt and turmeric and stir until the potatoes are well done. Top with finely chopped corriander leaves. Take the pan off the heat and leave aside to cool

Onion Chutney

Onion chutney is one of my favourites. My mom used to make this both with idlies and dosas. It is a healthy chutney and helps cool the body. Heat a little oil in a pan and add the chopped onions. Fry until transparent. Add the remaining ingredients except jaggery. Fry until the onions are firm but well done. Make sure the corriander and chillies do not burn. Take off the pan and leave aside to cool. Add a little jaggery to this mixture and then grind it to a fine paste. Serve at room temperature

Groundnut Chutney

Groundnut chutney is a very very delicious chutney and tastes amazing with dosas. It is a favourite with my husband. Heat a little oil in the pan and add all the ingredients. Keep stirring until you can smell the fried peanuts. Take care not to burn anything. Take off the heat and leave aside to cool. Grind the mixture to form a fine paste.

The Dosa

Heat a flat pan /skillet. Make sure that the pan is well heated before you start or else the dosa might break.

Sprinkle a little oil on the pan. Now scoop a ladle full of batter and spread on the heated pan. Start from the middle and spread outside in a circular motion.

Take a spoonful of masala and top it on the dosa. One the Dosa is well done (Brown on one side) , remove it from heat , fold it it half and serve with the chutneys.

Tips:

• Rub a piece of onion on the pan after every dosa, this keeps the pan non sticky.
• I always use very good quality non stick pans. This way I can use less oil and the food is healthier.
• For a brown dosa, use more oil.I don't add much oil, so my dosas are white.

I love eating Dosas on weekends. I hope you try this recipe and enjoy.