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Dosa with potato filling

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Although often called a type of lentil, urid dal is actually related to cowpeas and mung beans. This is what forms the dosa base to this recipe, along with parboiled rice. Serve with a spiced potato filling and chutney.

Ingredients

For the dosa batter

For the tomato chutney

For the potato filling

To serve

Method

  1. To make the dosa batter, wash the rice under cold running water and soak in a bowl for 3–4 hours. Drain the rice and using a food processor or blender, blend to a smooth paste, adding about 4 tablespoons of water while blending.

  2. Wash the urid dal under cold, running water and soak for 3–4 hours in a bowl. Drain the urid dal and blend it with the fenugreek seeds to make a smooth paste (add about a tablespoon of water while blending).

  3. Combine the rice and urid dal paste in a large container. Cover and allow it to ferment in a warm room for 6–8 hours.

  4. Add 120ml/4fl oz of water to the rice and dal, stir in the gram flour and salt, to taste. The batter is now ready for preparing dosas.

  5. To make the tomato chutney, add the tomatoes, red onion, red chilli, dates, garlic, tamarind and salt to a pan over medium heat, and cook until soft. Once cooked, remove from the heat and blend to a smooth paste using a blender or food processor.

  6. Add sunflower oil to a pan, once hot add the mustard seeds, urid dal, dried red chilli, curry leaves and turmeric and allow the seeds to crackle and splutter. Remove from the heat and pour the hot oil and spices over the tomato paste. Mix together and set aside – the chutney can be served warm or cold.

  7. Meanwhile, for the potato filling, add the oil to a pan on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, chana dal, urid dal, curry leaves and asafoetida and allow the seeds to crackle and splutter. Add the onion and green chillies and fry until soft and the onions are translucent.

  8. Add the cooked potatoes, turmeric, lemon juice and salt, to taste. Finally garnish with coriander leaves. Keep warm.

  9. To cook the dosa, heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and drizzle in a little oil, remove from the heat and wipe the pan with kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.

  10. Sprinkle a little water on the hot pan to cool it, dry it with kitchen paper and then pour a ladle of the dosa batter into the pan. Allow the batter to spread to the edge of the pan to make a thin pancake.

  11. Spinkle with a pinch of red chilli powder, a squeeze of green chilli paste and a light drizzle of oil. When it starts to brown, add the potato filling to the middle of the pancake and fold the pancake over the filling. Remove from the plate and cut into four. Serve with the tomato and coconut and coriander chutneys.