Dilute Dosa With Cereals and Vegetables
We Indians love our fermented food, from crumbly steamed dhokla and fluffy white Idlis , to fried wadas and aromatic kadhi . One of the staples that is preferred in the southern part of the country, but loved everywhere, is the humble dosa . This protein-rich crepe is made from a fermented batter made from urad-dal ( divided by a gram of black ) and rice.
Be simple
If you’ve never done Dosa before, it’s pretty simple. Here’s a simple dosa batter recipe, courtesy of retired banker Srikala Warrier:
Using a ratio of rice to dal equal to five servings of rice to one dal by volume, cover the rice and dal with water and soak them separately overnight. ( Uraddal is rising, so you will need to add extra water if you decide to use it.) Grind both separately the next morning. Warrier uses a wet grinder , but you can also use a food processor; just make sure you grind everything until smooth. Start by adding a very small amount of water – you can use the water that you soaked in the rice and dal – then add a little more when the mixture is firm, but just enough to make the chopping process easier. If you add too much water at the beginning, the mixture will not crush well and the dough will become grainy. Dal is easily crushed and gives off water, so it requires less water than rice. If you are using a food processor, the chopping process takes less than 20 minutes. Combine the shredded rice and dahl mixtures and grind them together until completely smooth.
Cover the dough and leave overnight to rise. Some people add a pinch of methi (roasted and crushed fenugreek seeds) to the batter. Warrier adds it just before preparing the dosa, along with salt to taste.
Before making the dosa , bring it to the desired consistency by adding enough water until it thickens the spoon soaked in it. Add a spoonful of batter to a clean hot tava (skillet) or nonstick skillet over medium heat and spread to form a round pancake; ghee can be added for faster frying. Once the corners start to lift and the top of the dough looks cooked, turn it over with a spatula. (If, however, you are working with a very thin dough, you may not need to turn it over.) Finished dosa will look golden brown and is best eaten hot, served with coconut chutney andsambhar .
Useful Tips
Dosa creation may seem simple, but a lot can go wrong. If this is your first time trying this, we have some helpful tips.
- If the dough does not rise, add a little yogurt and let the mixture sit for half an hour.
- Before pouring the batter, clean the pan with a damp cloth or tissue. This will prevent the dosage from sticking and tearing.
Vegetarian touch
At Anjali Aruldas’ house in Mumbai, dosa is rarely simple. 58-year-old is the founder Vanakkam Foods , which offers a semi-finished products and the batter for dosa, idli and WADA. Aruldas experimented with vegetable dough using vegetables such as beets, carrots, and palak (spinach). “It’s a simple and healthy way to get kids and seniors to eat more vegetables,” she says. “Plus, the vegetables add a vibrant color to the dosa .”
The process begins with peeling, washing and boiling vegetables – salt and a few spices can be added to add flavor. Leafy vegetables such as spinach can be blanched, but harder vegetables such as carrots and beets need to be pressure cooked until tender (they can also be boiled or roasted until tender). When the vegetables are tender, rub them to a smoothie consistency. “Don’t strain the puree, or you will lose fiber and nutrients,” advises Aruldas. You can also whisk raw vegetables, but this will give the dough a grainy texture and spoil faster.
The amount of water used in the puree depends on the consistency of the dosa batter – if it is thin, drain the water after boiling or blanching. Aruldas advises keeping the vegetable and the dosa separate and stirring just before cooking. Both batter should be used within three days. As far as the ratios are concerned, it is up to you. “I use about 20 percent of the vegetable mixture added to the batter. If you want more vegetarian flavor, you can increase the amount, ”she says.
Grain history
In addition to vegetables, grains such as ragi (millet), mahana ( fox tail nuts), jovar (sorghum), and bayra (pearl millet) can be added. Each grain is different in taste and texture. The first step, says Aruldas, is to figure out your sequence. “The ideal grain-to- dose ratio is 1: 2; if you like grains and want that flavor to shine, increase the ratio, ”she says.
Wash and soak the beans the night before or for eight to ten hours; they are hard and take longer to soften. In a wet grinder, mix the soaked beans and water to help you determine the thickness. “It’s a trial and error process. Don’t be discouraged if you fail the first time. Use the water in which you soaked the grains to avoid wasting nutrients, ”she says. Another option is to grind the grains into a fine powder and then create a batter by adding a little water. The cooking process is the same. The advantage of adding grains is that the dosa crunches on its own, without ghee or butter.