Masala Dosa

A masala dosa is made by stuffing a dosa with a lightly cooked filling of potatoes, and spices. It wraps the dosa around potato curry or sabji.

Before it was invented, plain dosa was served with potato curry  without onions in a separate cup. During a shortage of potatoes method was created in which potato was mashed and sautéed with onions together with other spices. This was then placed inside the dosa instead of in a separate cup in order to hide the onions, which are not eaten by orthodox Hindus and Jains. This came to be known as "Masala dosa", from the sautéing of spices (masala) during the preparation of the bhaji.[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosa}

There are varieties of dosa available in the hotels. But if you ask me, nothing can beat the old classic, 'Masala Dosa'. Masala Dosai is the favorite for many not only in Tamil Nadu but throughout India and even indeed popular all over the world .Paddy loves it.

  Ingredients

Dosa Batter                       2 cups

Potato Masala

Ghee                                4 tbsp

Coconut chutney

 For Coconut chutney: Grind 6 tbsp of coconut with chutney dhal, ginger, and salt.  Keep aside.

For Dosa Batter:  Masala dosa is made with the same batter and technique as the plain dosa but has stuffing  of chutney and potato curry.  Please see my previous Dosai recipe.

For Potato Masala:

Potatoes                             10 no

Green chilies                        4 no

Jalapeno                             1 no (optional)

Curry leaves                        1 stem

Turmeric powder                 ¼ tsp.

Grated ginger                     1 tsp.

Chopped cilantro                   2tbsp

Salt                                   to taste

Seasonings:

Oil                                   1 tsp.

Cumin seeds                     ¼ tsp.

Method of Potato masala

• Pressure cooks the potatoes. Drain and remove skin and mash it. Set aside.
• Heat a sauce pan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the cumin seed, when it sputtering, lower the heat add the turmeric, ginger, curry leaves and sauté for one minute.
• Add the potatoes, salt mix well and simmer on low for 2 minutes.
• Mix in the chopped cilantro.
• Now Potato masala is ready for stuffing g. Set aside.
  
  
  

  

  Potato Masala

  
  

To prepare the Masala dosa: 

• Follow my dosa recipe for cooking the dosa  until underside of the dosa has a golden red color.
• Reduce the heat and spread 1 tsp of chutney evently  over the top of the dosa
• Then  spread 2 tbsp of potato  curry over the half of the dosa.
• Roll it like cylinder shape.
• Dribble ½ tsp of ghee mixed oil on top of the dosa and serve immediately. 

Note:

• Some people prefer serving the chutney on the side, but I like it cooked inside the dosa.
• Instead of chutney ,  you can spread Milghai powder (Gun powder) over the top of the dosa.

Masala Dosa

 

Kuzhi Paniyaram

This is one of my favorite snacks from Chettinad cuisine. This can be made both salty and sweet. Kuzhi Paniyaram is known by various names in Southern India, including paddu, appe, guliappa, gulittu, and gundponglu, ponganalu, and gunta pongadalu. I will give you my version of Kuzhi Paniyaram.

  

The above picture is a non-stick skillet (Appam Chatti - in Tamil) can be easily found here in US as pancake puff skillet from Amazon or from Bed Bath & Beyond and sometimes can be found in Indian stores too.

Ingredients for grinding

Idly rice                                 1 cup

Raw rice                                1 cup

Urdu dhal                            1/4 cup

Fenugreek seed                    1 table spoon
Aval                                    1tbsp 

Salt to taste

Method for Batter

Soak all the five together for 2 to 3 hours and grind nicely .Mix it with very little salt and ferment for 8 hours.

Masalas:

Grated coconut                       2 tbsp

Green Chilies                         5 no
Jalapenos                              1 no ( optional)

Chopped Curry leaves              2 tbsp.

Finely Chopped Ginger              3 tsp.

Oil                                         4 tbsp.(Oil to pour into the moulds)

Method for Paniyaram

• Chop green chilies and ginger into finely.  Keep aside.
• Check for the sourness in the batter. If it too sour, add salt as required, and if it too thick, add little water to make it to dosa batter consistency.
• Add all  above masala items in it and mix well.
• Take the Kuzhi Paniyaram skillet, on medium heat; add 1/2 tsp. oil in each hole. (Don’t keep the stove in high flame).
• When hot, add the batter, pour few drops of oil on top and close the skillet with lid. This helps Paniyaram to cook well inside-out. After 2-3 mins, take out the lid and check if the sides have become light brown.  If not, place the lid back and let it cook for some more time.
• When you feel it is cooked underneath turn it upside down with a long needle like thing or with the stick provided. Allow the other side also to cook well.
• Take it out of kadai when it comes to light brown in color.
• This kuzhi paniyaram tastes excellent with Thakkali thuvayal and coconut  chutney.

Tip:   you can add grated carrots in the batter.

Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal (Coconut, Raw mango, White peas sundal)

Sundal is a tasty snack prepared with soaked and boiled legumes with seasoning.  It is simple, healthy and is more like a salad. 

Ingredients:

Dried white Peas                             - 1 cup

Chopped Raw Mango                       – ½ cup

Grated Coconut                                3 tbsp

Grated Ginger                                   – 3 tsp

Turmeric powder                             – generous pinch
Lemon juice -                                 1 tsp(optional)

Salt                                                 – as per taste

Dry roast and powdered coarsely

Red chili                                             – 2 no

Coriander seed                                 – 1 table spoon

Bengal gram                                        – 1 table spoon

For seasoning

Oil                                             – 1 tea spoon

Mustard                                       – ½ tea spoon

Urad dal                                      – ½ tea spoon

Red chili                                        – 2 no

Green chili chopped                            – 2 no

Asafetida,                                        - ½ tsp

Curry leaves few

Fresh coriander leaves                          for decoration

Method: 

• Soak white peas for 6 to 8 hours; after washing add salt, turmeric powder and boil; drain and keep.
• Dry roast the items given and powder them coarsely.
• Chop, coriander and raw mango into thin and small pieces. Keep aside .
• Split the red chilies to small pieces.  Heat oil in a pan.
• Add all seasonings and Wait to crackle.
• Add cooked peas and combine with  add  ground dry spices, chopped raw mango, coconut, grated ginger and mix well.
• Check for salt. If you want add little bit salt . Add lemon juice in it.
• Mix well and remove from the flame.
• Add coriander leaves for decoration. 
• Serve as a snack.

RAGADA PATTIES

Chaat is the most popular street food in India. It is also one of the few street foods that I have actually eaten on the Thane (Bombay) street. This is one of my favorite  chaat

For Patties:

Boiled Potatoes                       – 4 no

Bread Crumbs                           - 2 tbsp.

Chopped coriander leaves           – 2btsp

Ginger paste                            – ½ tsp

Oregano seeds                        – 1/4 tsp.

Ammchur Powder                        ½ Tsp.

Salt                                         to taste

Turmeric Powder                       – a pinch

Oil                                           for swallow fry

Method for Patties

·        Boil, peel and mash the potatoes well.

·        Take the mashed potatoes into a bowl; add all above ingredients. Mix and knead well into a dough.

·        Divide the dough into balls.  Make patties and shallow fry them until brown.

·        Take out the patties from the oil and put them into a bowl with tissue paper to drain the excess oil.

Green Chutney

Chopped Coriander leaves            – 1 cup

Mint leaves (Pudina)                    - 1 tsp

Green chillies                              – 4 no

Salt                                          – to taste

Lemon juice                                – 1tsp

Method for Chutney

·        Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend to a smooth paste.

For Ragada gravy

Dry white Peas                       – one cup

Ginger pastae                          - 1 tsp

Minced green chilies                  – 5 no

Tomato finely chopped              – 1 no

Tamarind puree                       – 3 tbsp

 Fennel powder                      – 1/8 tsp.

 Hing powder                          - ¼ tsp.

Garam Masala                         1 tsp.

Cumin powder                         -1/4 tsp.

Turmeric                                 1/2tsp

Coriander Leaves

Salt                                    – to taste

Method for Ragada gravy

·        Soak the peas overnight and pressure cook until soft with a pinch of turmeric powder.

·        Grind the green chili and ginger paste, Fennel powder and tomatoes together.

·        Place a sauce pan on the stove and add the oil.

·        Heat a oil in a deep pan, add Hing, garam masala powder, cumin powder   and chili Tomato paste, and let it cook until the oil separates.

·         Now add the Pressure cooked peas and let it boil (prior to adding the peas partly mash the peas it so it can blend well

·        Add the tamarind puree and add one cup of water to the sauce and bring it to boil.

Serving method

• Place 2-3 patties on a Bowl. Pour a serving of the Ragada sauce on it. Top it with Green chutney. Garnish freshly chopped coriander leaves.