Traditional recipe:
3 cups rice (not basmati!), soaked overnight -- room temp. water.
1 cup urad dal (a specific type of lentils avail. at Indian grocery stores --- no substitution; other dals will not work like
this) Soaked separately overnight --- room temp. water
Traditionally, stone grinders (huge mortars) and rolling pestles are used to grind the rice and the urad dal and motorized
versions of those are now available at Indian elcetronic stores in D.C. A mixie or a blender cuts the grains into fine
pieces, but does not "mash" them like the stone grinders do. So there is a good deal of difference taste when you use a
blender. But still, it is not bad at all if you make sure that you grind the rice really fine. Cover the rice with water just 1/2
"above the rice line in the blender. Grind till Sssssmooth. Grind the dal separately, with water that barely covers it. Grind
a long time (be patient!), stirring once in a while and grinding again. When the dal is ground very well, and small air
bubbles appear once you stop running the blender, it is enough. Add more water if necessary. But this should be very
thick.
MIx the rice and the urad dal pastes, with 1/2 tsp salt.
Add one tablespoon beaten yogurt, and mix well.
Keep covered to let oit ferment fro at least 5 to 8 hrs or more.
(Keep it close to a heater or in any warm place).
Once it has risen, stir briefly, and keep it oin the fridge.
You have the batter now.
Grease a griddle with plain sesame oil or peanut oil if you care about max. flavor; if not use veg. oil. The heat should be medium
or slightly higher. When hot (a few drops of water will sizzle gently and disappear), using a metal ladle, pour one ladleful over
the griddle; with quick and even and gentle strokes, spread the batter out with the ladle as if you are drawing concentric circles
on the batter. Do it either clockwise OR anticlockwise else you get lumps. It takes a few tries believe me, and some of us who
are trained well in this mess up occasioanlly. drizzle oil around edges, and on top. Once the bottom is cooked, turn it over, and
cook the top. Be careful when using your spatula (metal preferred) to take it out to flip it.
This can be served with chilli-dal-spice powder and oil or ghee, coconut chutney, cilantro or mint chutney, onion chutney, or
red garlic chutney, and/or saambar. This is standard breakfast or supper fare for us,
growing up in the south.
Else, as in your restaurant, make a filling as follows:
1. Take 2 large boiled potatoes, peel and mash coarsely.
2. Thinly slice one large red onion, 3 or 4 green chillies.
3. Grate a 1" piece of ginger.
4. Cut up a tomato if you want.
5. Take a sprig of curry leaves and chop them coarsely.
6. Heat some veg. oil, add some fennel seeds, and cummin seeds (1/2 tsp. each)
7. Add 1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds.
8. When they crackle, add the green chillies, ginger, garlic (if used), and onions and fry them with a little salt for a while till
onions are transparent. Add curry leaves.
9. Next add 1/2 pkt of frozen peas, tomatoes (if you choose), and fry for 5 minutes.
10. Add the potatoes, and more salt if desired. stir well till blended
11. Add some chopped cilantro if you want.
When making the dosai, spread the batter out as mentioned earlier, drizzle oil, and keep the skillet or griddle covered (any
cover will do as long as the dosai area is covered; just be sure the cover does not touch the dosai). In less than a minute, the
dosai will be cooked with oil on the bottom, and its top will be cooked by the steam that is generated when you cover it. The
color is now not the white of the batter but kinda dull; you'll know)
Turn the heat down, place the cooled filling acrooss the center along the diagonal, and fold both sides overlappingly over it to
form a cylindrical shape. Increase the heat slightly, drizzle more oil, and cook both sides till golden.
Else, place the filling in the center, and fold from three sides, forming a triangle, overlapping and covering the filling.
Cook as above.
If you have left over batter, and really fermented, make "OOTHAPPAM": Chop some onions, green chillies, and cilantro really
well, mix with salt.Soon as you spread out the pancake, sprinkle the chopped stuff on top. Drizzle oil on top, flip it over
carefully when the bottom is cooked, and cook the other side. Serve with coconut chutney.
If you are into a health-diet, do not drizzle oil over and around pancake. Just grease the griddle lightly with a paper towel; in this
case, cook just one side of the dosai on the greased surface, covering the dosai to let the steam cook the top. This dosa is very
soft and tasty.
Back home, we add some fenugreek seeds to the urad dal, soak and grind them together for a superior texture, flavor, and
color.
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