Easy Mixed Dal Dosas (Gluten-free Savory Lentil Crepes)
Dosas are a breakfast favorite, but I don’t always have homemade (or store bought) batter handy. Sometimes the urge strikes unexpectedly and I do not have the time or patience to go through the rigamarole of soaking and grinding the rice and lentils. That is why I came up with a shortcut version requiring no overnight soaking or fermenting. I cannot call these dosas “instant” because the batter does need to be rested for an hour. Even so, the entire process is much quicker than usual and this recipe is ideal for those spur-of-the-moment cravings. These gluten-free, protein-rich dosas are crispy and delicious. Serve them with any chutney and/or curry of your choice. I like to eat them with powdered jaggery, chutney podi and ghee. A steaming cup of strong, frothy filter coffee always goes down a treat.
Recipe
Easy Mixed Dal Dosas
(Makes about 6 dosas)
Ingredients
1/4 cup split pigeon peas (toor dal)
2 tbsp white lentils (dhuli urad dal)
2 tbsp split yellow lentils (dhuli mung dal)
1-2 dried red chillies
8 curry leaves
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp flattened rice/poha (optional)
1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup fried gram flour/sattu ka atta (can be substituted with chickpea flour/besan)
1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Pinch of asafetida
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/4 cups water (more if needed)
Salt to taste
Ghee/oil for frying
Method
In a small frying pan, roast the lentils, red chilli, curry leaves and cumin seeds over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until they turn aromatic. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Once cool, blend the mix into a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl.
Add the rice flour, fried gram flour, black pepper, asafetida and turmeric. Mix well to combine. Stir in the water, 1/4 cup at a time and mix well, breaking up any lumps that may have formed. The batter should be smooth and of a thick pouring consistency.
Season it to taste with salt, cover and set aside for an hour. After an hour, stir the batter well. Add a few more tablespoons of water if it seems too thick.
To make the dosas, heat a flat griddle/dosa pan over medium-high heat. Brush it lightly with ghee/oil and once hot, pour about 1/4 cup of the batter into the center of the pan. Spread out lightly with the back of a spoon/ladle working outwards in a concentric motion to form a crepe-like round.
Drizzle some ghee/oil around the edges and in the center. Allow the dosa to cook until the underside turns a deep golden brown. Gently run a metal spatula around the periphery of the dosa to release it from the pan. Flip it over, drizzle a few more drops of ghee/oil and fry until the other side is also crisp.
Remove from the pan and serve hot with any chutney of your choice.
Before frying the next dosa, sprinkle a few drops of clean water onto the pan (watch out for the sizzle!) and wipe it down with a clean kitchen towel. This helps to cool the pan down, keeps it clean and allows the batter to stick and spread evenly.
Repeat the same procedure for the remaining dosas. Any leftover batter can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 1-2 days (bring it to room temperature before frying the dosas).
Vegetable Variation - For a veggie version, you can also add some chopped vegetables (2 tbsp grated carrot, 2 tbsp chopped onion, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro and 1 tsp grated ginger) into the batter. The result will be thicker, softer dosas. While frying, use a lid to cover the dosas to allow them to cook through.
