Nadan Masala Dosa

Ingredients (For 4 – 5 masala dosa)

1. Dosa batter – Around 2.5 – 3 cups

2. Potatoes – 2 large (or 4 – 5 small)

3.Coconut oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Dried red chilly – 1 – 2 , broken

Urad dal / chana dal – 1 tsp

4. Onion – 1 medium (Around 1 cup), thinly sliced and halved

Curry leaves – A few

Ginger – 3/4 tsp, minced

Green chilies – 2, chopped

4. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Chili powder – 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

5. Salt – To taste

6. Hot water – 1/2 cup

7. Cilantro / coriander leaves – 2 tbsp, chopped

Method

1. Halve the potatoes and pressure cook for 2 whistles till tender. Open the cooker after 10 minutes. Peel off the potato skin. Mash coarsely and set aside. (OR Peel and cut into large cubes. Boil for 15 minutes until tender. Drain well and transfer back to the same pan. Mash coarsely).

2. Heat coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Splutter mustard seeds and fry dried red chilly and urad dal. When urad dal turns golden-brown, add sliced onion, curry leaves, ginger, green chilly and a pinch of salt. Saute until onion turns transparent. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and pepper powder. Cook over low heat for 20 seconds. Add mashed potato and salt, to taste. Mix well. Add 1/2 cup hot water, mix well and cook covered for one minute over low heat. Check for salt. Switch off. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and mix well.

3. Heat a non-stick pan (smear some oil if you are using a cast iron pan). Pour 1/2 – 3/4 cup dosa batter (depending on the size of your pan) and spread to make a thin dosa (not very thin). Drizzle ghee or gingelly oil / spread butter and cook for a few minutes over medium heat until crisp (you can flip over for a minute if the dosa is thick). Next add 1/3 cup potato masala in the center or on one side. Fold and serve hot with sambar, tomato or coconut chutney. Enjoy!

For the dosa batter

Ingredients

1. Urad dal – 1 cup

Chana dal  – 2 tbsp (Optional, Added to get that golden colored dosa)

Fenugreek seeds / uluva – 1 tsp

2. Idli rice – 3.5 cup

3. Salt

Method

(I use a wet grinder to grind the batter. If you are using a blender (mixie), halve the ingredients.

1. Wash urad dal and chana dal thoroughly and soak in ample water for at least 4 – 6 hrs. Add 1 tsp fenugreek seeds also.

2. Wash idli rice thoroughly and soak in ample water in a large bowl for at least  5 hrs.

3. Drain and add urad dal, chana dal to the grinder jar along with salt and little water (you can add the water that you used to soak the dals). Grind it to a smooth, thick and fluffy batter. Transfer the batter to a large vessel.

4.  Drain the soaked rice and add to the grinder along with little water (that was used to soak the urad dal or rice). Add enough salt. Grind to a fine paste (not very fine, rice batter will be little grainy and not as smooth as urad dal batter). Add more water, if required. Add the ground idli rice batter to the ground urad dal. Mix both the batters well using your fingers. Allow to ferment for at least 5 – 6  hrs (during summer) or overnight (during cold weather, keep the batter in a warm place – for eg: inside the oven with oven light on) and use in this recipe.