Chef Palak's Dosa Recipe

Dosa is a beautiful, paper-thin rice crepe made with a fermented batter. Chef Palak stuffs her authentic version with potatoes, masala, green coconut chutney, freshly grated coconut and more, serving the pancake with sambar, a legume-based stew, made from scratch and a nice, warm soup on the side.

Watch the video to see a novice take on the pro version, and get Chef Palak's recipe below.

Recipe

Dosa Batter

Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cup dosa rice
• 1 cup urad dal
• 1/4 cup poha
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• Water, as needed

Directions

1. For the batter, wash rice using a mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Place rice in a bowl and add 6 cups cold water. Rinse urad dal thoroughly and place in another bowl with 6 cups of water. In a small bowl, add the teaspoon of fenugreek seeds and soak in water. Soak everything overnight up to 24 hours.
2. Drain the water from the dal and rice. In a high-speed blender put rice mixture in small batches with ¼ cup water and blend until smooth. Repeat the process with the urad dal and add fenugreek seeds to the mixture adding small amounts of water as needed.
3. In an extra-large bowl, combine both mixtures and mix well. Cover with a plate and drape with a kitchen towel. Turn the oven light on and place it in the middle rack to ferment overnight. Place a sheet tray underneath to catch any spills. Note: There will be small air bubbles at the top after 8-10 hours. If not, ferment longer. Season with salt and set aside.

Dosa Filling

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds yellow Yukon potatoes, rinsed
• 3 tablespoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1 dried red chili pepper
• 1 tablespoons urad dal
• 2 tablespoon peanuts
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
• 1 red onion, cut thin strips
• 2-3 Thai green chilies or serrano peppers, chopped
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2-3 drops lemon juice

Directions

1. In a large pot, add cold water and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes to fork-tender. Leave in water until completely cooled. Peel and mash roughly leaving large chunks.
2. In a large skillet, add ghee over medium-high heat. When ghee is hot and shimmering, add mustard seeds and cook for 30 seconds. The seeds will pop and infuse oil. Lower heat and add urad dal and peanuts to toast 2-3 minutes, or until lightly golden.
3. Gently add curry leaves (they will splatter in oil), hing, red pepper and onions, season with salt. Cook until onions have softened. Add turmeric, cumin powder and cayenne pepper.
4. Add potatoes to the onion mixture and stir. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes. Season well with salt, add cilantro and lemon juice drops. Set aside.

Dosas

Directions

1. For dosas, set a dosa griddle to medium heat. Using a paper towel with a teaspoon of oil, brush a thin layer on the pan.
2. Using a large spoon, add batter and in a circular motion spread thinly around the pan to cover the surface. Drizzle a few teaspoons of ghee. Cook until the center and edges brown slightly and the dosa comes away from the pan.
3. Using a thin silicone spatula, carefully work around the edges to remove from pan.
4. Add potato filling in the center of the dosa and close in a half-moon.

Green Chutney

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1 Thai green chili, chopped
• 1/2 inch ginger, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of roasted chana dal
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1/4 cup water, more as needed

Directions

1. Add ingredients to a blender and puree. Season as needed.
2. Top with tempering spices.

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

• 3 ripe Roma tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 tablespoon chana dal
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1/8 teaspoon
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
• Kosher salt, to taste

Directions

1. In a skillet, add oil and heat over medium heat.
2. Add cumin seeds and cook until they pop for 30 seconds.
3. Add chana dal and cook for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add hing, onions, tomatoes, ginger, tamarind, salt and cook for another 5-7 minutes until onions are translucent.
5. Puree in a blender. Adjust seasoning as needed.
6. Top with tempering spices.

Tempering Spices

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup high-heat oil (grapeseed or safflower)
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 4 sprigs curry leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon hing
• 2-3 dried chilies

Directions

1. In a small skillet, add oil over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and cook for 30 seconds until they pop.
2. Gently add curry leaves, hing and dried chilies. Remove from heat and spoon over both chutneys. Reserve some for sambar.

Sambar

Ingredients

• 1 cup yellow toor dal or tuvar dal, washed and soaked 30 minutes
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 small red onion, sliced into thin strips
• 1/4 teaspoon hing
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
• 4 cups water
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 Japanese eggplant, cubed into small pieces
• 6 pieces frozen drumsticks, defrosted
• 1/2 cup green beans, chopped
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1 tablespoon sambar powder
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Cilantro leaves, finely chopped for garnish

Directions

1. Heat instant pot to saute setting and add oil. Add mustard and fenugreek seeds, cook for 30 seconds until fragrant and seeds pop.
2. Add the chopped onions and salt, saute until onions are translucent with no color. Add chopped tomatoes, sambar powder and salt. Saute for another 2 minutes.
3. Add toor dal and water to the instant pot. Change the setting to pressure cook mode for 10 minutes at high pressure. Be sure to place the vent in seal position.
4. Cool until the pot releases pressure. Stir in the tamarind paste and season as needed. For a thicker consistency, set the pot back to saute setting and evaporate the water as needed.

Read about the history of crepes, and study global cuisines in Culinary Arts at ICE.