Mysore Masala Dosa

Posted by: smilinglight on: June 25, 2010

In: recipes
3 Comments

If you are a South Indian and you love Masala Dosa, clap your hands!!!

Doesn't it look good?

Really, you’ve got to be crazy if you don’t. (I can excuse the others who haven’t had a chance to try it). My attempts thus far at making masala dosa had been limited to making the plain dosa, dropping a dollop of potato curry inside it and eating it with chutney. Nothing like the crispy crunchy ones you get at restaurants. Well, not anymore! Not anymore! My friend, the beautiful Ramya spilled the secret and it was yum yum yum!

They say women cannot keep secrets. So here I go:

For the dosa batter:

2-2 1/4 cups rice

1 cup Urad dal

1 handful Chana dal

1/2 handful Yellow moong dal

1 tsp methi

Salt & Sugar

Method:

1. Wash and soak all ingredients (except salt & sugar) together for at least 4-5 hours.

2. Grind the soaked ingredients and allow it to ferment overnight.

3. After it has fermented, you can make the dosas right away. If you want to wait longer, better refrigerate the batter so it doesn’t turn sour.

4. For making the dosas, take just the amount of batter you need. Add salt and a spoonful of sugar. Sugar helps the dosa get crispy and brown.

5. Adjust the water according to your preference. Generally, the batter has to be a little watery for the masala dosa.

6. Take a non-stick tava (an absolute must if you want restaurant style dosas. It’s worth it’s weight in gold. You will love it). Pour the batter and spread it.

7. Add a small slice of butter and cover the dosa. This is the secret ingredient that improves the quality of the dosa hundred-fold. The butter and sugar combo (remember their magic in cookies?) make the dosa brown and crunchy!

8. Spread a bit of red chutney and top the dosa with potato-onion curry. Fold the dosa restaurant style and serve. There is no need to flip the dosa over. This is why the batter needs to be thin.

9. Enjoy with some coconut chutney!

Red Chutney recipe
Fresh/frozen coconut – 1/2 cup

Red chillies – 5-6 (or according to taste)

Tamarind – little

Grind all of them together adding just a little water if required

Coconut Chutney recipe

Fresh/frozen coconut – 1/2 – 1 cup

Chana dhalia (kadale poppu) – eyeball the same amount as coconut

Cilantro – 1/2 bunch. You can include the tender stems as well.

Green chillies – 4 to 5

Tamarind – little

Salt – very little