How To: Masala Dosa, Just Like in Kerala

Masala Dosa is a quintessential South Indian dish that will make you look like a cooking genius with very little effort. Dosas are a thin, fermented pancake made from rice or lentils, and typically served with curried potatoes, sambar (lentil stew), and coconut chutney. We recently had a few friends over for a dosa night and everyone wanted the recipes. So here they are:

Dosa

1 cup washed moong dal
1 green chili chopped
1/4 inch piece ginger chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons of oil

1. Wash the dal in water several times, until the water appears clear and then soak dal in 4 cups of water for at least four hours.
2. Drain the water. Blend dal, green chili and ginger together to make a smooth batter. While blending, add two to three tablespoons of water. Note: The batter blends smoother with less water.
3. Mix the salt and cumin seeds in the batter. Add water as needed. The total water added will be about a half cup. Batter consistency should be like pancake batter.
4. Use a non-stick flat skillet and place the heat on medium-high. You can check if the skillet is ready by putting a few drops of water on it. If the water sizzles right away, the skillet is ready.
5. Next pour about 1/2 cup of batter over center of the skillet and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. Starting from the center, spiral outwards until it is evenly spread, and about 7 inches in diameter.
6. When the batter starts drying out, gently spread 1 teaspoon of oil over the dosa. Wait about 30 seconds, then flip dosa with a spatula, just as you would a pancake.
7. Let the other side of the dosa cook for about one minute, or until golden-brown in color.

Curried Potatoes (Aloo Masala)

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
1 tablespoon oil
Pinch of asafetida (you can find this at Indian grocery stores. But if you can’t get your hands on it, it’s ok to omit)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 finely chopped green chili
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1. Boil the potatoes until they are soft and let cool.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil. If it cracks right away, the oil is ready.
3. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and asafetida. As the seeds crack, add turmeric, potatoes, green chili, and salt.
4. Stir-fry for a few minutes.
5. Add lemon juice and cilantro.
6. To serve, spoon about 1/2 c. of potatoes into the center of your dosa, and fold into thirds. Don’t forget the chutney!

Coconut Chutney

1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons chickpea flour
1 cup of yogurt
1-1/2 tablespoon salt (adjust to taste)
2 Serrano green chilies cut in small pieces
1/2 inch ginger
Approximately 1/2 cup water

For Seasoning

1 teaspoon oil
pinch of asafetida
1/4 teaspoon black mustard seed
2 red chilies broken in pieces

1. Roast chickpea flour on medium heat until it is light brown in color and has a roasted aroma.
2. Blend chickpea flour, coconut, yogurt, green chilies and salt until it forms a course paste.
3. Add water, as needed, to help with the grinding.
4. Before removing from blender, taste chutney to adjust the salt and pepper. Blend well.

Seasoning

1. Heat oil in small pan, when hot, add black mustard seeds and wait till they crack.
2. Add asafetida, red chilies and curry leaves.
3. Pour the seasoning mixture over the chutney.

Coconut chutney can be refrigerated up to a week.

Sambar

1 cup toovar (arhar) dal
1/2 pound pumpkin (or other winter squash), peeled and cut into pieces
1 teaspoon mustard seeds (preferably black mustard seeds)
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
6 to 7 curry leaves
2 pinches asafoetida
2 tablespoons sambhar powder (can be found in Indian grocery stores)
1 medium onions, diced
2 tbsp tamarind (you can also use a store bought tamarind chutney)
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, quatered
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste