Masala Dosa

Chef: Niru Gupta

Ingredients: 2 cups rice-preferably parboiled
1/2 cup split and husked Black Gram (Dhuli Urad)-soaked with rice for 5-6 hours
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp salt
Oil to smear the pan for cooking the dosas

Masala for dosas
500 gm (3 cups) potatoes-boiled, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cups onions-sliced not very thin
2 green chillies-chopped coarsely (optional)
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
6-7 curry leaves or 1/2 tsp dried curry leaves
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp powdered turmeric
1/2 cup water

Method: Grind daal mixture together to a very smooth consistency. Add salt and enough water to make into a dropping consistency. Leave to ferment for about 5-6 hours, till a little
spongy.

If thickened too much, add a little water to thin a bit. Heat tawa, and brush oil over it. When really hot, splash a little water over it, and immediately pour batter onto it, spreading it thin, with a circular motion. This will have to be very swift and will need a bit of practice.

After spreading the batter, lower the heat and dribble a little oil around the edges so that it seeps under the dosa. When edges start browning a bit, pass a flat spoon under it to ease the dosa off the pan.

Put desired filling in the centre, and fold the two edges over. Serve accompanied with sambhar and chutney.

For the masala filling, heat the oil in a heavy based pan and add the mustard seeds, then onions, curry leaves and green chillies, and saut� over high heat till the onions are a little transparent.

Add the salt and the turmeric and mix well, before adding the potatoes. Turn the potatoes around till well mixed, and add the water, and let it simmer, for 2-3 minutes.

User's comments:

A tsp each of chana dal and udad dal can also be added to the oil before frying the onions. A pinch of hing powder will increase the flavour. And for variety, vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, peas etc. can be added along with the potatoes which will also make the filling more nutritious. Boiled soya nuggets can also be included.

1/4 CUP OF TOOR DHAL SHALL BE ADDED ALONG WITH URAD DHAL WHILE SOAKING. THIS WILL AVOID SNUGGYNESS OF DOSA WITH MASALA.