Masala Dosa

Poha goes into the batter, and the crepe is wrapped round a spiced potato filling.

Vegan.

Ingredients

for the batter

• 300 g parboiled rice
• 60 g poha, flattened rice
• 80 g whole white urad dal
• 2 tablespoons toor dal, pigeon peas
• 2 tablespoons chana dal, chickpeas
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 2 dried red chillies
• 2 teaspoons salt

for the filling

• 700 g potatoes, boiled and roughly crushed
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon urad dal
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 12 curry leaves
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method

1. POHA GOES INTO THE BATTER, AND THE CREPE IS WRAPPED ROUND A SPICED POTATO FILLING. Its article gives the batter as parboiled rice, POHA and various legumes -- black gram, pigeon peas, chickpeas -- with fenugreek and dry red chilli for flavour, and the dish as a savoury dosa crepe STUFFED with a spiced potato stir fry. The poha is the part that distinguishes the batter from a plain dosa's: flattened rice is already cooked, so it gelatinises on contact with water and gives a softer, more pliable crepe that will fold round a filling without cracking.
2. THE EXTRA LEGUMES ARE IN THE ARTICLE AND THEY ARE SMALL QUANTITIES. Two tablespoons each of pigeon pea and chickpea alongside the black gram. They brown more readily than urad and are part of why a masala dosa goes a deeper colour.
3. THE DRY RED CHILLI AND FENUGREEK ARE GROUND IN, NOT ADDED AFTER. Its article names both as flavourings in the batter. Soaked with the lentils and ground with them.
4. SOAKED OVERNIGHT, GROUND, FERMENTED OVERNIGHT AGAIN. Its article's order: soaked overnight in water, then ground into a batter, then fermented.
5. THE FILLING IS TEMPERED FIRST AND THE POTATO GOES IN LAST. Mustard seeds in hot oil until they pop, then urad dal until it colours, then curry leaves, chilli and onion, then turmeric, and only then the crushed potato folded through. Potato added early breaks down to paste.
6. THE POTATO IS CRUSHED, NOT MASHED OR DICED. Broken up with the side of a spoon so there are lumps. A smooth mash slides out of the fold; dice does not hold together.
7. THE CREPE IS COOKED CRISP BEFORE THE FILLING GOES ON. Spread thin, oiled at the edge, and left until the underside is golden and it lifts cleanly. A filling added to a pale crepe steams it soft.
8. IT IS FOLDED, NOT ROLLED TIGHT. The filling spooned along the middle and one side laid over, or folded into a triangle. Rolled tight it goes soggy before it reaches the table.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes