Dosa (crispy savory pancakes) from South India is a staple food in its home region. In the rest of the country too, Dosas are hugely popular and Udipi restaurants serving them and other South Indian foods can be found in almost every suburb! Learn how to make them with my easy recipe.
Aloo masala is a nice compliment for any kind of dosa. The Aloo Masala can be rolled in the dosa or served as a side dish.
Ingredients of Masala Dosa
For making Dosa
3 cups rice (washed and soaked overnight)
1 cup skinless split urad daal (skinless gram) (washed and soaked overnight)
3/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
Salt to taste
Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
For Potato Masala Filling
3 big potatos, boiled, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 green chillis slit lengthwise
2 big onions thinly sliced
¼ tsp turmeric pwd
salt
2 tbsp oil
1/4 cup water
For tempering/seasoning potato masala
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds(jeera)
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal(Bengal gram)
7 – 8 curry leaves
a pinch of asafetida powder
Method of Masala Dosa
For making potato filling
1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a cooking vessel. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Lower heat, add cumin seeds, urad dal, channa dal, curry leaves and fry till light brown, approx 10-15 seconds. The tempering should not burn.
2. Add curry leaves, asafetida powder, chopped green chillis and minced ginger. Mix and immediately add the sliced onions.
3. Fry till transparent, add turmeric and salt. Now add the chopped potato. Sprinkle 3 tbsp of water and let it cook with lid on medium heat for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and adjust salt.
For making Dosas
1. Having soaked both rice and dal separately, wash well with plenty of water, add fenugreek seeds, fill enough water and soak overnight.
2. The next morning, drain all the water from the rice and urad daal. Now put some in a food processor and grind – adding very little water if necessary – to a smooth yet slightly grainy paste (for crispy dosas).
3. Put it into a large mixing bowl and add enough water to make a batter. The consistency of the batter should be such that it thickly coats a spoon dipped in it.
4. Now add salt to taste and keep the Dosa batter aside for fermentation in a warm, dark spot, covered, for 6-8 hours. After this fermentation, stir the batter well. It is now ready to make Dosas.
5. Heat the iron griddle or non-stick tawa well.
6. Pour a spoonful of batter in the centre, spread with the back of the spoon to a thin round.
7. Pour a tsp. of oil over it.
8. Remove with spatula when crisp.
9. The Dosa is almost done. Fold it in half and allow to cook for 30 seconds more.
10. Scoop some potato filling into the center and fold the dosa over to form a half-moon. Flip into the plate and serve hot with sambhar and chutney.