Dosas (pancakes) are widely eaten in southern India. They can be served either on their own with chutney or as here with a vegetable filling, when they are known as masala dosa.
Makes 6-8
Ingredients:
- 200 gm urid dhal, or 200gm ground rice and 50 gm urid dhal flour (ata); 425 -600 ml water; 1 tsp salt, 4 tbsp oil.
Filling:
- 4 medium potatoes, diced; 3 green chillies, chopped;
- ½ tsp turmeric; 1 tsp salt; 150 ml oil;
- 1 tsp mustard and onion seeds; 3 dried chillies;
- 4 curry leaves and 2 tbsp lemon juice.
Cooking Method:
- To make the dosas (pancakes), soak the rice and urid dhal for 3 hours. Grind the rice and urid dhal to a smooth consistency, adding water if necessary.
- Set aside for a further 3 hours to ferment. Alternatively, if you are using ground rice and urid dhal flour (ata), mix together in a bowl.
- Add the water and salt and stir until a batter is formed.
- Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a large, non-stick, frying pan. Using a ladle, spoon the batter into the frying pan. Tilt the frying-pan to spread the mixture over the base.
- Cover and cook over a medium heat for about 2 minutes.
- Remove the lid and turn the dosa over very carefully. Pour a little oil around the edge, cover and cook for a further 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- To make the filling, boil the potatoes in a pan of water. Add the chillies, turmeric and salt and cook until the potatoes are soft enough to be lightly mashed.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the mustard and onion seeds, dried red chillies and curry leaves for about 1 minute.
- Pour the spice mixture over the mashed potatoes, then sprinkle over the lemon juice and mix well.
- Spoon the potato filling on one half of he dosas and fold the other half the filling. Serve hot.
