How To Make Masala Dosa
Masala dosa is an Indian crepe-like dish that is traditionally filled with a savory combination of onion and spiced potatoes.
Ingredients
For Batter:
- 1½ cup idli rice, (parboiled rice, ukda chawal, sela chawal), or ½ cup regular rice
- ½ cup urad dal, husked whole or split black gram
- ¼ cup thick poha, flattened rice
- 1 tbsp chana dal, husked and split bengal gram
- 20 fenugreek seeds, (methi seeds)
- 1 cup water, for soaking urad dal
- 2 cup water, for soaking rice
- 1 cup water, for grinding rice and poha
- ½ cup water, for grinding dal
- ½ tsp rock salt, (edible and food grade), add as required or sea salt or pink salt
For Potato Filling:
- 4 potatoes, medium-sized, or 2 cups boiled, chopped or crumbled potatoes
- 2 tbsp oil, any neutral oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp chana dal, (husked and split bengal gram)*
- 1¼ cup onions, or 2 medium to large, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp ginger, or 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 tsp. green chillies, or 1 to 2 green chillies, chopped
- ¼ tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida, (hing), optional
- ½ cup water
- 3 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
- 2 tbsp. cashews, optional
- ½ tsp sugar, optional
- salt, as required
Instructions
Rice And Lentils:
- First take all the ingredients in bowls. Take rice and flattened rice in separate bowls. Take the urad dal, chana dal and fenugreek seeds in one bowl.
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Rinse the urad dal, chana dal and fenugreek seeds a couple of times. Then soak them in 1 cup of water for 4 to 5 hours.
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Rinse the rice a couple of times and keep aside.
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Rinse the flattened rice once or twice and then add to the rice.
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Pour 2 cups of water. Stir and soak both rice and flattened rice together for 4 to 5 hours.
Batter:
- Before grinding, strain the water from the soaked lentils and keep it for grinding urad dal.
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Add the lentils in the grinder jar. Also add ½ cup of the soaked and strained water to the dal. One can use fresh water while grinding.
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Grind the urad dal, chana dal and fenugreek seeds till the batter is light and fluffy. The urad dal has to be ground really well so that the batter ferments well.
- Remove the batter in a bowl or pan with a spatula.
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Strain the rice well. Then in the same grinder, add the soaked rice and 1 cup fresh water. Grind rice in one batch or in two to three batches. This will depend on the size of the grinder jar.
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To make the batter, add 1 cup of water. It is also possible to add ¾ cup of water while grinding. Addition of water will depend on the quality of rice.
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Grind the rice till a fine grainy consistency in it. The rice batter should have a fine rava (cream of wheat) like consistency.
- Now pour the batter in the same pan or bowl containing the urad dal batter.
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Add ½ teaspoon of edible rock salt or add as per taste. Sea salt or pink salt is also okay.
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Mix the salt very well with the batter. Also mix both the batters very well. Cover and keep aside to ferment for 8 to 9 hours.
Potato Filling:
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First rinse and then boil 4 medium sized potatoes in 2 cups of water for 5 to 6 whistles in a pressure cooker. Alternatively, boil potatoes in a pan or in an Instant pot. The potatoes have to be completely cooked and fork tender.
- When the potaoes are cooking, soak the chana dal in hot water for 30 minutes. Then drain the chana dal and keep aside.
- When the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, remove the lid. Drain the water from the potatoes and let them become warm. Then peel and chop them.
- Also slice the onions thinly and chop the green chilies, ginger and coriander leaves.
Potato Filling:
- Heat oil or ghee in a frying pan or a skillet. Fry cashews and keep aside. This step of frying cashews is optional.
- Lower the flame and add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add the chana dal.
- Saute the chana dal for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame or till they turn light golden or golden. Now add the sliced onions, curry leaves, green chilies and ginger.
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Saute the onions stirring often till they soften and turn translucent. Add the turmeric powder and asafoetida (hing). Mix very well.
- Add water. Mix well and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or till the mixture thickens a bit.
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Next, add the boiled chopped potatoes and mix very well. Alternatively, mash the potatoes while cooking them. Season with salt according to taste. Also add ¼ teaspoon sugar for a slight sweet taste.
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Simmer on a low flame for 3 to 4 minutes stirring occasionally. The water will reduce and the consistency will thicken.
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Switch off the flame and then add chopped coriander leaves. Also add the fried cashews now and mix well. The potato filling should be moist and easily spreadable on the dosa.
- Stir and keep the potato filling aside.
Masala Dosa:
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Lightly stir the batter, before making dosa. There will also be tiny air pockets in the batter and it would have increased in volume.
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Heat a cast iron pan or a flat non-stick pan. The pan should be medium hot. Smear some oil if using an iron pan or griddle. Don't smear oil on a non stick pan.
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Keep the flame to a low, while spreading batter. Spread the batter in a circular way on the pan.
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On a medium flame, cook the dosa. Sprinkle some oil on top and edges.
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Cover with a lid and let it cook. Spread the oil which was sprinkled earlier on the dosa with a spoon. Cook till its base becomes golden and crisp.
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When the base has become golden and the edges separate from the pan, place a portion of the potato filling on the dosa. Spread it a bit if desired.
- Now fold the dosa and serve.
Recipe Notes
*Soaked in ¼ cup of hot water for 30 minutes – optional.
Nutrition
- Sugar: 1g
- :
- Calcium: 21mg
- Calories: 84kcal
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fat: 2g
- Fiber: 3g
- Iron: 1mg
- Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
- Potassium: 226mg
- Protein: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Sodium: 57mg
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Vitamin A: 170IU
- Vitamin C: 20mg
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