WOYP Day #35 Ragi Tomato Onion Dosa

This dosa is made with a combination of flours you might already have in your pantry and the humble tomato. The best part is no one can guess there is puréed tomato in the Dosa batter. Ragi Tomato Onion Dosa turns out crisp, studded with roasted onions, it’s a party in the mouth! This is an instant Dosa which means no soaking, grinding or fermenting, more reason to make this right away! :D 

Ragi or Finger Millet is highly nutritious - rich in fiber, calcium, amino acids and Vitamin D. Keeps you full longer which means you are snacking less between meals! 

Ragi Tomato Onion Dosa: 

You will need:

1 cup Ragi flour
3/4 cup Rice flour
3/4 cup Fine semolina (fine Sooji/Chiroti Rave)
Few curry leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup Chopped tomato
3 Green chilies, chopped
1” piece Ginger, chopped
Salt to taste
Water as needed

1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

 
Purée tomatoes, green chilies and ginger into a smooth paste. Whisk together the Ragi flour, rice flour and Semolina in large bowl. Add cumin seeds, salt and finely chopped curry leaves. Add the prepared purée. Using a whisk add little water at a time and combine into a lump free dough. Add about 3 cups of water to make a thin batter. 

Heat a crepe/dosa pan and apply oil. Sprinkle a tablespoon of onions and little cilantro. Pour 1/2 cup of batter evenly over the onions. Drizzle little oil, cover and cook on high for 2-3 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook until the Dosa crisps up. Remove from heat and serve hot with Coconut chutney.

WoYP Day #19 Instant Spinach Onion Dosa

This dosa batter does not require soaking or grinding and is instant which means you can have crispy, healthy dosas ready in under 30 minutes. We all need such recipes in our arsenal for busy times. 

You will need:

2 cups Rice flour

1 tsp Cumin seeds

2 tsp Salt

2 tbsp Semolina (Sooji/Rava)

3 1/2 - 4 cups Water

Oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

To grind:

1 large bunch Spinach, washed

4 green chilies

1/2” piece Ginger 

Blanch spinach in hot water, cool and grind to a smooth paste with green chilies and ginger.

In a large bowl, combine rice flour, semolina, cumin seeds, salt and the prepared puree. Add 2 cups water and whisk to make a thin batter with no lumps. Add more water if needed. The consistency should be thin. if batter is thick you will not get lacy,crisp dosas. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Heat a large dosa (crepe) pan. Apply oil generously using a pastry brush. When hot, sprinkle a tablespoon or two of chopped onions on the pan. Pour 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup batter evenly over the onions. Spread a teaspoon of oil on top. Cover and cook on high heat for 3 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook until the dosa is crisp  and browning on the edges. 

Remove gently and serve with chutney. Repeat the process to make more dosas.

These are best eaten hot and right after they are made. 

Easy Coconut chutney: 

1/4 cup split Dalia (Roasted Bengal gram - pappu)

1/2 cup fresh grated coconut

3 green chillies

A handful fresh cilantro

3-4 large mint leaves

1 tsp Tamarind pulp/paste

1 tsp Jaggery 

Salt to taste

Seasoning:

Heat 1 tsp oil in small pan. Add 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds and few curry leaves. Add a pinch of hing (asafoetida). 

Grind above ingredients into a smooth paste using water as needed. Transfer to a bowl. Top with prepared seasoning, stir to combine and serve.

Pesarattu(Moong Dal Dosa) with Upma

Pesarattu is a popular breakfast dish in Andhra Pradesh. Traditionally it is served with a sprinkle of onions and fresh corriander on the inside, eaten with coconut chutney. This tastes best when freshly made and not a dosa you can stop at one :) Adding upma on the inside adds to the taste and is probably a practice which started off in South Karnataka (more so in Telugu households) to make the dosa more fulfilling.




There are two ways of making Pesarattu. One with whole green moong dal and the other with split yellow moong dal. The taste of the dosa varies from one another. I personally prefer the whole green moong, which imparts a nice green colour to the dosa, a change from typical white dosas.

You will need:
For the Pesarattu: Makes 8-9 dosas

½ Cup Whole green Moong, soaked overnight
3 tbsp Rice flour
6 Green chillies
Salt

For the upma:
2 tbsp Oil
½ tsp Mustard seeds
½ tsp Urad Dal
½ tsp Chana Dal
¼ cup onion, chopped
Few curry leaves
½ cup Semolina, dry roasted
1 cup Hot water
Salt to taste

Pesarattu Toppings: Chopped onions, chopped cilantro

Prepare the Batter: Grind the soaked moong dal and green chillies with little water to a smooth paste. Stir in the rice flour and salt.


Prepare the Upma: Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard and when it begins to splutter, add the urad and chana dals. Add the curry leaves and chopped onion. Saute till onion is soft. Pour the hot water and bring to a boil. When the water begins to boil slowly add the roasted semolina while stirring to avoid lumps. Turn heat to low and cook covered for 3 minutes. Add salt. Remove from heat.

To make the Pesarattu: Oil a hot non-stick pan. Wipe the oil with a paper towel. Pour a ladle of batter in the centre and swirl clockwise with the ladle. Drizzle a tsp of oil on top. Top with chopped onions and cilantro.

Cook for 2 minutes and then flip, cook for another 15 seconds. Flip over and place two tablespoons of upma on one half of the dosa. Close the other half over the upma. Remove from heat.












Before making another dosa, wipe the pan with the paper towel. If the pan is oily, then its hard to swirl the batter. We had our Pesarattus with Garlic chutney.

Make this over a weekend and savour the dosas at your own pace. :)

Aapams and Vegetable Stew

Aapams and Stew is probably the most common of foods in a Keralite’s home. Kerala cuisine is an untreaded territory for me, so I sought a friend’s help in making the following two dishes. She is a Keralite, knows her stuff but the only thing was she doesn’t use measurements …now that’s a huge problem for me coz I’m very particular about measurements, especially when I’m trying someone else’s recipe. Every ingredient I asked about it, she said….”I don’t know, I just add it in!” Hmmm, after much cajoling and detailed enquiry, I was able to settle with certain forms of measurement. I came back home and equated them to the standard measures.

Aapams

I’ve made Aapams before, but not the Kerala version of course. This one has oodles of coconut in it, or should I say ‘plenty’…in my friend’s words! I also borrowed the Aapam Pan from her.

You will need:

2 Cups Rice (Sona Masoori)
1 tsp Yeast
½ tsp Sugar
½ Cup Warm water
¾ Cup Freshly grated Coconut
½ Cup cooked Rice
Salt as required

Soak rice for 4-6 hours or overnight.

Add sugar and yeast to warm water, stir and let sit for 10 minutes till frothy. Drain soaked rice and grind to a smooth paste with the yeast and cooked rice. Ferment overnight.

Add salt only before making the Aapams.

Heat a non-stick Aapam pan on low heat. Pour one ladle of the batter in the middle of the pan and swirl the pan immediately to coat the batter on the sides of the pan. Pour a tsp of oil on top, cover and let cook till done.

Serve with hot vegetable stew.

Vegetable Stew

This is one dish we’ve had at home since we were kids. But the Kerala style is a little different from how mom used to make it.

You will need:

½ cup Carrot cut into 1” bits
½ cup Green beans cut into 1” bits
½ cup Peas
1 Potato cubed
1 onion thinly sliced
5-6 Green chillies slit
¾ tsp Black Pepper powder
1 can Coconut Milk
2 tbsp Coconut Oil (or any cooking oil)
Salt to taste

Bring water to a boil and add all the veggies (including chillies) to it. Boil till veggies are cooked through. Drain and reserve little of the water. Place veggies in a deep pan, pour coconut milk over it, add the pepper powder and salt. Stir and bring to simmering boil. If the stew is too thick then add the reserved water as required. Turn off heat and then add the oil on top while the stew is still hot. Stir and serve hot with the Aapams.

When my friend first mentioned that the oil had to be poured on top after the cooking was done, I was surprised because it’s unusual to add the oil after the cooking, because the taste of uncooked oil is not very pleasant. But with this dish, it did wonders; it made the stew creamier and very delicious. It is important to remember to add the oil when the stew is still hot though. I used Canola Oil, as I don’t use Coconut Oil for cooking, its too much 'coconut' to handle!

Aapams and Vegetable Stew is my entry to RCI Kerala hosted by Jyothsna of CurryBazaar

Khara Dose (Spicy Dosas) and Fantastic Four MeMe

Khara means spicy in Kannada. My mom recently gave me this recipe over the phone and I immediately gave it a shot coz it so happened on the day I spoke to her I still hadn’t decided what to make for lunch/dinner. It’s a big relief when someone suggests a dish, half the work is done!! Deciding what to make is a bigger task than actually making the dish..phew! I made this for dinner, since I had to soak the rice and dal. This was the first time I made this dosa, all I know is it is supposed to be spicy…I have no idea if this is what my mom had in mind…hehe!

You will need:

2 portions Rice (Sona masoori)

1 portion Tuar Dal

12 Byadagi Dry red chillies

8 Guntur Dry red chillies

½ tsp Tamarind paste (or marble size tamarind)

1 small pc jaggery (1 tbsp if powdered)

Salt to taste

Soak the rice, tuar dal and dry red chillies for atleast 4-6 hours. Grind to a smooth paste along with the tamarind paste and jaggery. Use as less water as possible. Let batter ferment overnight. If batter has not fermented then add ¼ tsp Cooking Soda and mix well.

Heat a pan. Apply a tsp of oil and wipe clean with a paper towel. Pour one ladle of dosa batter in the centre, rotate clockwise to make a thin pancake. Drizzle 1/2 tsp oil on top. Cook on both sides.

Wipe pan with a paper towel between dosas. Since the dosa is spicy it doesn’t need an accompaniment, dosas can be had with ghee. If you still need something to go with it then serve with pickle or Coconut Chutney.

Khara Dose is my entry to "JFI-Toor Dal" hosted by Linda of Out of the Garden and also to "Vegan Ventures"hosted by Suganya of Tasty Palettes.

Now for the Fantastic Four MeMe. When Rajitha of Hunger Pangs tagged me, I was happy, because this is the first time I've been tagged for anything at all since I started my blog. Thanks Rajitha, and I really took my time to get to the MeMe, hope you don't mind!! So here goes...

My Fantastic Four MeMe:

4 Places I have Lived

Mysore - born and brought up there
Ooty - 7 years of boarding school
Bangalore - Granny's place when I was working
Dallas, Texas

4 Jobs I had

(Rather I wish I have in future, I'm still in my mid 20s..long life ahead...or so I think! )

Caterer - my parents have been in that business for a long time, I would love to follow suit
Pastry chef - My new found passion for baking seems to be going stronger day by day

At this point this is all I can think of!


4 Favourite Places I have holidayed

Colorado -on this year's b'day with hubby dear, was a dream come true!
Las Vegas
Orlando - the most recent trip and the best ever
San Francisco with my cousin

4 Favourite Foods

Hard choices to make!!
Chunky Monkey Ice cream (Ben and Jerry's)
Oththa Shavige (Rice Semiya) which granny makes...especially the sweet one
Trifle Pudding

All of my mom's cooking, too hard to choose any one from her list :)

4 Favourite Places I would rather be

Back home in India, with all of my family
Switzerland
Relaxing by a fireplace with hot soup on a rainy day
In Magic Kingdom, I found it hard coming away after my trip (ya, ya I'm still a kiddo!)


I would like to tag:

Kalva of Curry in Kadai

Nags of For the Cook in Me

TBC of The Budding Cook

Manasi of A Cook @ Heart

Set Dosa with Vegetable Saagu (curry) & Ginger Chutney

'Set Dosa' was a name coined by restaurateurs long ago in Karnataka when dosas were served more than one per plate. Initially hotels served 4 small dosas in one plate with chutney and Sambar or Saagu (Curry/Korma). Since the dosas were served in sets of two the name “Set Dosa” came into being. Customers who couldn’t consume all 4 dosas began to order “Half Set” which was two dosas and hence the cost of the dish also was halved. More and more people began to order half set rather than full plate, hence restaurateurs decided to change the number of dosas to 3. The customers were now left with no choice but to order a full plate with three dosas rather than half plate with only two dosas. Till date a plate of Set Dosa ordered in any restaurant across Karnataka, consists of 3 dosas.

Set Dosa is a popular variety of dosa in Mysore and Bangalore. It’s easy to make at home.

Set Dosa

1 Portion Thick Poha (Avvalakki)

4 Portion Rice (Sona Masoori)

1 Portion thick plain Yoghurt (Curd)

1 tsp Fenugreek (Methi) seeds

Salt

Soak poha, rice and methi seeds overnight. Grind to a fine smooth paste the next day using as less water as possible. Mix batter with salt and yoghurt and let ferment overnight. If next day the batter hasn’t risen, then add ½ tsp of Cooking soda.

Heat a non stick pan. Apply oil and then pour two ladles of dosa batter in the centre. If the batter has fermented well, when you batter begins to cook, holes will form on the surface, this is what you are looking for. Cover and let cook till one side is done. Some like it one side cooked while some others prefer to flip the dos and cook it on the other side as well. Suit yourself and do accordingly.

Serve with hot Saagu and Coconut chutney. When I make it at home I prefer to make either Saagu or chutney.

Vegetable Saagu

You will need:

1 potato ( small cubed)
½ cup peas
1 carrot (small cubed)
1 cup green beans (small cut)
6-7 green chillies (slit)
2-3 pods Garlic
2 cloves
1" pc Cinnamon stick
1 tbsp Corriander seeds
½ bunch coriander
2 tbsps fried gram (Hurgadale)
1 cup fresh coconut grated
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves
3 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Grind the green chillies, garlic, coconut, fried gram,cloves, cinnamon, coriander seeds and fresh coriander to a thick fine paste. Boil vegetables in lightly salted water, drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the ground paste and fry for a minute or two. Then add the boiled veggies and mix well. Add salt and bring to a boil.

Serve with Set dosas.

Ginger Chutney

Another good combination with this dosa is Ginger chutney.

You will need:

100 gms Ginger
1 tbsp Fried Gram
½ cup Fresh or dry coconut (grated)
6 Dry red chillies (dry roasted)
½ tsp Tamarind paste
½” pc Jaggery
½ onion chopped
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
¼ Tsp Asafetida (Hing)
Few curry leaves
Salt to taste

Add ginger, fried gram, dry red chillies, tamarind paste, jaggery and coconut in a blender. Make a smooth paste with sufficient water. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and when it begins to splutter add the curry leaves and hing. Add chopped onions and fry till soft and translucent. Now add the ground paste and sauté till fragrant and oil leaves the side of the pan.

Serve with your choice of main course…chapathis, dosas or rice.

This chutney stores refrigerated for upto 10 days in an air tight container.

This is my entry to “Think Spice – Think Ginger” hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s World.

RCI Karnataka -- Baath Masala Dosa with Bisi Coffee

Mysore Masala Dosa and coffee…what could be more Karnataka than these two items. When Asha announced the “RCI :Karnataka” I was so excited but also in a dilemma because I had so many recipes to choose from :) Was wondering what to submit as my entry to the event when this struck me. Everybody loves Masala dosas and it is very popular not just in South Karnataka but all over the state. Mysore Masala Dosa is made with dosa batter, roasted to a crisp, and has Potato playa in the centre, served with delicious coconut chutney. Baath Masala Dosa on the other hand is the same but with a little something extra. Along with the potato filling in the centre, it also has Lime Rice (Chitranna). Garlic chutney is applied on the inside of the dosa before the fillings are placed which makes you wanting more after each bite. Baath Masala is very popular in Bangalore . Just the talk of it has me drooling!

Baath Masala Dosa with Bisi(hot) filter Coffee is my entry to the “Regional Cuisines of India(RCI)-Karnataka” this month. This event is being hosted by Asha of FoodiesHope and was started by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine

Bhaath Masala Dosa:

You will need:

For the Dosa batter:

2 portions Regular Rice
½ portion Urad dal
¼ portion Poha (Avalakki)
¾ tsp Fenugreek seeds

*portion: any cup you choose, use the same for rice, urad dal and poha

Soak the above ingredients overnight and grind to a fine paste the next day. Use as little water as possible. Add salt, mix well and let ferment overnight. If it's hot outside the batter should ferment well without cooking soda. If the batter hasn’t risen the next day then add ¼ tsp soda, mix well and use as required.

For the Coconut Chutney:

4 tbsps. Fried gram (hurgadle)
¾ cup fresh grated coconut
6 green chillies
Salt to taste
½ bunch coriander
Few sprigs Mint leaves

1.Powder the fried gram in a blender.
2.Add the remaining ingredients and blend till everything comes together.
3.Garnish with seasoning: Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, urad dhal and chana dal. Add curry leaves and a pinch of hing.

For the Garlic chutney:

2 tbsps. Fried Gram (hurgadle)
4-6 Garlic pods
4-6 dry red chillies
2-3 tbsps fresh coconut gratings
Salt to taste

Powder the fried gram and add the garlic pods, red chillies, salt and coconut. Grind to a smooth paste with sufficient water.

For the Potato Palya:

1 large potato boiled and mashed
½ onion thinly sliced
4 green chillies
Few curry leaves
½ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
½ tsp Mustard seeds
½ tsp urad dal
¼ tsp chana dal
2-3 tbsps oil

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard and when it splutters add the chana dal and urad dal. Fry till they become light brown. Add the slit green chillies and curry leaves. Add the thinly sliced onions and sauté till onions are soft. Add the turmeric powder and fry for a minute. Now add the boiled mashed potato and salt. Mix well.

For the Chitranna (Lime Rice):

1 cup cooked rice
½ mustard seeds
½ tsp Urad dal
¼ tsp Chana dal
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
2-3 green chillies
1 tbsp oil
½ tsp lime juice
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard and when it splutters add the chana dal and urad dal. Fry till they become light brown. Add the slit green chillies and turemeric. Fry for a minute and then add the cooked rice. Add salt and lime juice, mix well.

Making the Bhaath Masala Dosa:

Heat a non-stick pan. Pour one ladle of batter in the center of the pan and turn anti-clockwise to form a nice round dosa. Pour ½ tsp of oil on top of the dosa. Roast on medium flame. Do not cover.

When one side is done, flip and cook the other side.
Flip the dosa again, apply the garlic chutney.


Place a spoonful of potato playa and a spoonful of chitranna in the middle of the dosa.



Fold one half of the dosa over the fillings.
Top with a dab of butter and serve hot with coconut chutney .

Filter Coffee: The Grand Finale

Coffee is a favourite no doubt but Filter Coffee tops the list. Fresh coffee brewed with hot water in a uniquely designed Steel filter. Add the 'decoction' to boiling milk with sugar and the end result…delicious, aromatic coffee. Enjoy it after a dosa, and your meal is made!

Usually coffee is served in Steel tumblers in most restaurants in South India. Some say coffee tastes better in steel than in a ceramic cup. Well, you are the better judge, so choose your utensil J Utensil apart, the taste of Filter Coffee is better any day compared to instant coffee.

Anybody wants to share this cuppa with me? :)

Rava(Semolina) Dosa with Coconut Chutney

Most dosa batters take a long time to prepare and also require pre-planning like soaking,grinding etc. Here's a recipe for Rava(Semolina) dosa which can be made in a jiffy !



You will need:

1 cup Peni Rava (Fine Sooji/Semolina)
1 cup Rice flour
1 cup Maida (all purpose flour)
3 tbsps yoghurt (slightly sour)
1” pc. Ginger (finely chopped)
3-4 green chillies (finely chopped)
Chopped corriander
Salt to taste
Water as required

• Mix all of the above with water to form a thin consistency. Look at picture below.

• Let the batter sit for atleast 30 minutes before making dosas. The longer the better.
• Heat a non-stickpan. Apply oil. Pour a thin layer of batter on the hot tawa.

• Cook on medium flame, uncovered to make a crisp dosa.
• Serve hot with Coconut chutney (recipe follows).

Coconut Chutney:

You will need:
4 tbsps. Fried gram (hurgadle)
¾ cup fresh grated coconut
6 green chillies
Salt to taste
½ bunch coriander
Few sprigs Mint

Mint is my secret ingredient J just a few sprigs and it adds a whole lot of flavour to the chutney.

1. Powder the fried gram in a blender.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend till everything comes together.
3. Garnish with seasoning: Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, urad dhal and chana dal. Add curry leaves and a pinch of hing.

Try this and impress your guests in a flash! :)