Lentils and bulgur wheat dosa
Dosa, a household favorite, and the popularity of these South Indian crepes seems to be growing. After all, we have an extremely sought-after restaurant here in San Francisco, named after it. Rice, lentils and fermentation are the key components in the traditional dosa recipe. It is a staple in many a South Indian homes, and the batter is made from scratch, no short cuts. Though now, to make life easier in the kitchen, dosa batter is readily available everywhere in India, even all the Indian grocery chains, at least here in the Bay Area.
But if you still would like to make the batter at home, minus the time taken to ferment the batter, and a change in taste every now and then, here’s a recipe which can be tried out in your kitchen. I’ve recently started making dosas or ’cheelas’ as is another popular name for these lentil crepes. Bulgar wheat or dalia, moong daals, poha or flattened rice( found in every Indian grocery store), all brought together in a batter.
It’s a great recipe for breakfast, lunch or brunch, and especially for kids too. Plus, it’s got a pleasant nutty taste and a different flavour too. No fermentation, just let the batter sit for a few hours. And you are ready to hit the pan with the batter, flip some dosas and serve, eat and enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup yellow moong dal
1/2 cup split green gram or green moong dal
1/4 cup urad dal (split and dehusked black gram lentils)
1/2 cup bulgur wheat or dalia
3/4 cup poha (flattened rice)
Salt
Oil, for frying
Wash the lentils and soak the lentils and bulgar wheat or dalia in water for 4-6 hours.
Rinse the poha with water in a colander and let it rest for 30 mins.
Drain the lentils mixture and add it along with the poha in a food processor. Add 1/4 cup water, not too much, and grind the mixture well, to a paste. The batter needn’t be completely smooth. Add salt and let the batter rest for 4 to 6 hours.
Heat a large non stick dosa or crepe pan on medium high heat. Add a big ladle full of batter and spread it around evenly in a circle.
Lower heat to medium low. Pour a little oil around the edges. When the dosa starts turning light brown, flip it over to the other side and cook for a couple more minutes.
Serve with your favorite chutney.
My Kitchen Flavors 