Dosa- the traditional Indian pancake which I grew to love.
Living in a cold(ish) country, I thought it was impossible to make dosa at home as the batter needs some heat to ferment. With no suitable warm space near radiators/in the "hot room" (boiler room), I had resigned to just the occasional indulgence when we go out to South Indian restaurants. But with some ingenious thinking (not by yours truly- thanks but I really cant remember whose idea this was), we overcame that obstacle. Oven pre-heated to low temp...now why didn't I think of that??
The below makes a lot of dosas (2 of us eat at least 4 meals with this quantity). The batter keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days. When you go through the trouble of it, why not make it for a few days eh?
Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup glutinous rice (you get to buy Idly rice in Indian stores. But am sure it'll work with risotto rice as well though not tried it)
1 cup urad dal (a type of lentil- also available in Indian stores. Doesn't matter if whole or split)
Method:
1. Soak the ingredients in cold water for at least 4 hours
2. Wash it well to remove all the soaked water.
3. Grind in a mixer with just enough water to make a smooth paste (I use a blender and fill water to the same level as the rice-dal mix. Works well)
4. Transfer batter to a large(ish) bowl (remember the batter rises- so ensure you don't fill to the brim).
5. Keep in a warm place for 8-10 hours to ferment and rise. (8 hours for warmer places)
If, like me, you live in a not so warm country, pre-heat oven to 50 degrees (not too hot or you'll end up cooking it). Switch off oven and place the batter in the oven.
6. After around 8 hours, the batter would have risen. Add salt to taste. If the batter is too thick, add a little water. Ideally you want consistency like runny custard)
To actually make the dosa-
1. Heat a frying pan (preferably non-stick) on a high flame
2. Splash little cold water on the pan to reduce the heat just long enough for you to pour a ladle of batter and spread it thinly in circular motions (like a crepe)
3. Dot butter mixed with some vegetable oil around the dosa and on it so that part becomes nice and crispy. You can also use ghee (clarified butter) for this.
4. Cook over high flame. Once the dosa starts to brown and rise away from the pan around the edges, turn it over and cook for another 30 secs or so (when cooked, the dosa easily comes off the pan)
5. Transfer on to a plate.
Dosa is best eaten hot as it can get chewy or rubbery when cold. Enjoy with sambar or chutney or potato curry or chicken curry or anything you fancy. Also tastes good with honey.
Yumm yumm.
Living in a cold(ish) country, I thought it was impossible to make dosa at home as the batter needs some heat to ferment. With no suitable warm space near radiators/in the "hot room" (boiler room), I had resigned to just the occasional indulgence when we go out to South Indian restaurants. But with some ingenious thinking (not by yours truly- thanks but I really cant remember whose idea this was), we overcame that obstacle. Oven pre-heated to low temp...now why didn't I think of that??
The below makes a lot of dosas (2 of us eat at least 4 meals with this quantity). The batter keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days. When you go through the trouble of it, why not make it for a few days eh?
Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup glutinous rice (you get to buy Idly rice in Indian stores. But am sure it'll work with risotto rice as well though not tried it)
1 cup urad dal (a type of lentil- also available in Indian stores. Doesn't matter if whole or split)
Method:
1. Soak the ingredients in cold water for at least 4 hours
2. Wash it well to remove all the soaked water.
3. Grind in a mixer with just enough water to make a smooth paste (I use a blender and fill water to the same level as the rice-dal mix. Works well)
4. Transfer batter to a large(ish) bowl (remember the batter rises- so ensure you don't fill to the brim).
5. Keep in a warm place for 8-10 hours to ferment and rise. (8 hours for warmer places)
If, like me, you live in a not so warm country, pre-heat oven to 50 degrees (not too hot or you'll end up cooking it). Switch off oven and place the batter in the oven.
6. After around 8 hours, the batter would have risen. Add salt to taste. If the batter is too thick, add a little water. Ideally you want consistency like runny custard)
To actually make the dosa-
1. Heat a frying pan (preferably non-stick) on a high flame
2. Splash little cold water on the pan to reduce the heat just long enough for you to pour a ladle of batter and spread it thinly in circular motions (like a crepe)
3. Dot butter mixed with some vegetable oil around the dosa and on it so that part becomes nice and crispy. You can also use ghee (clarified butter) for this.
4. Cook over high flame. Once the dosa starts to brown and rise away from the pan around the edges, turn it over and cook for another 30 secs or so (when cooked, the dosa easily comes off the pan)
5. Transfer on to a plate.
Dosa is best eaten hot as it can get chewy or rubbery when cold. Enjoy with sambar or chutney or potato curry or chicken curry or anything you fancy. Also tastes good with honey.
Yumm yumm.
