Something I still crave for - MASALA DOSA

Have you craved for something so bad that you went ahead and learnt how to prepare it. I did!


As a child I remember going to Swagat restaurant in Mangalore and having the crispy Masala Dosa. It used to be a early Sunday morning treat for me and my entire family. My family used to attend the 8:30am mass on at Milagres Church and then after some food for our religious soul, we used go for some fabulous breakfast for our hungry stomach.


I remember entering the hotel on a nice pleasant Sunday morning where the smell of hot puris, rava, wada and dosa enticed my smell buds (is there something called smell buds! or did I just made up a word). We used to go into the family room and sit waiting for the waiter to come and tell us the menu (trust me no fancy menu cards here, just a simple man reciting it for you). He used to recite it so fast that my sister used to always ask "did u mention parota gassi". Oh my sister.. She would always order parota gassi as if there was nothing else on the menu or probably that's the only thing she heard the waiter saying.


Masala Dosa was something that I always loved and I never knew how much I loved it until I moved to the US. On February 10,2009 I left India to relocate to the US after I got married. It was not all about leaving India, the country I love to bits, but also leaving behind the family I loved the most, the friends I shared secrets  with, the culture I always loved to flaunt and the food I always loved to eat.


US made me crave a lot of foods from back home and the cravings reached the peak of desperation when I became pregnant. Something I always craved for when I was pregnant was Masala Dosa. That craving pushed me to prepared this dosa at home and vala! another recipe got its place in my recipe book. So today I'm gonna share this recipe with all of you.


Ok, this one is not entirely my creation. The recipe is what my mom prepares in Mangalore. Its only the red chutney that does not belong to my moms creation. I found it on managlorean.com, a recipe posted by Kudpi Raj.


Hope you enjoy it as much as I do...


Here's what you need:


For the dosa:

• Idli rice (can use sona masoori too) - 1 cup
• Urad Dal - 1/2 cup
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Yeast - 1/4 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Here's how you make it:

• Soak the above 3 ingredients for 6 hours in water (rice and fenugreek seeds together and urad dal separately)
• Grind the soaked ingredients to make a batter. Add salt while grinding.
• Meanwhile in a glass take some warm water, add sugar and the yeast. Keep it closed for half an hour without steering.
• After half an hour steer the yeast and add it to the batter. Keep it over night for fermentation.

Once fermented you can go ahead and make the dosa

1. After fermentation
2. After steering the fermented batter 

• Heat a frying pan/tawa over high heat and grease it with oil
• Then add a dollop of the batter with a spatula.
• Once you add the batter on the tawa take your spatula and turn it around to make the dosa flat.
• Close with a lid.
• Once cooked go ahead and add the red chutney and the potato masala/potato baji on one side
• Fold the dosa like you close an open book and remove from tawa.
• Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Red Chutney

Courtesy: Kudpi Raj 

Here's what you need

• Red chillies (I used South Indian red chillies) - 6
• Tamarind - cherry size ball
• Channa Dal - 2 tsp
• Onion - 1/2
• Garlic - 3 flakes
• Salt - To taste
• Oil for frying

Here's how you make it:

• Roast dry long chillies with little oil.
• Grind the chillies along with other ingredients (except oil) to a smooth thick paste using little water.

I have taken a few pictures of how to assemble the dosa. It makes it easy to understand.

Recipe for potato baji follows.


Coconut chutney recipe coming soon :)


Note:

• If you did not remember to add salt while grinding its ok, add it after you have made the batter. If you did not add it then, no problem add it after it has fermented.
• Add very less fenugreek seeds. If you add too many it can make the batter sour.
• You can store this batter in the refrigerator for 2 days. 
• If the dosa does not lift easily form the pan/tawa. Clean the pan/tawa with a tissue paper of cloth and sprinkle some water on it. Wait for the water to evaporate and then go ahead and make the dosa.
• The tawa should be really hot for you to make this dosa so remember to keep the flame on high.
• If you do not get the shape of the dosa at your first attempt (I did not), do not get disappointed. Try again you'll be successful.