Dosa

Ingredients

• Rice, preferably parboiled 2 cups (360 g)
• Husked Bengal Gram ('Dhuli Urad') 1/2 cup (90 g)
• Fenugreek (Methi) seeds 1/2 tsp
• Salt 2 tsp
• An iron griddle (tawa) or a thick bottomed frying pan
• Oil to smear the pan for cooking the dosas

Preparation

• Clean and wash the rice and lentil and soak together with the fenugreek seeds for 7-8 hours.

• Grind the soaked mixture to a very smooth consistency, adding a little water if need be.

• Add the salt and enough water to make into a dropping consistency, and leave to rise for 5-6 hours, or till fermented.

• Adjust by adding water, to make the batter into a smooth consistency, which is easy to spread.

• To make the dosa:Heat the pan or griddle, and brush oil over it.

• When really hot, splash a little water over it, and using a ladle, immediately pour equivalent to about ¼ cup of batter onto it, spreading it thin, with a circular motion. (When doing this, do not press the ladle to touch the base of the pan. It should touch only the batter or else it will stick to the pan.) This movement will have to be very swift and will need a bit of practice so do not feel discouraged if you are not successful the first few times!

• After spreading the batter, lower the heat and dribble a little oil around the edges so that it seeps under the dosa. When the edges start browning a bit, pass a palette knife or some other flat tool under it to prise the 'dosa' off the pan. Place the desired amount of ‘masala’ (below) in the centre, and fold the two edges over.

• Lift it off the pan, and place on to the serving dish with the folded edges down.

• Serve hot accompanied with sambhar and coconut chutney.