Dosa best left to good Indian cooks

(Masala Dosa is filled with spiced potatoes and served with a trio of chutneys)

Being an adventurous cook, I'm not afraid to tackle most recipes.
But I'm also the first to admit when some recipes are just better left to better cooks.

Take masala dosa for instance.

I love those big fluffy Indian crepes made of rice and dal flours that are usually filled with spiced potatoes and served with a lentil sambar. I often treat myself to a dosa for lunch at Krishna Groceries on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie, where they serve up dosa on Mondays and Fridays. This wonderful ethnic store not only serves great Indian food prepared on the premises, but it offers a great selection of Indian products and produce.

(DEEP, MTR and Gits are three brands of Indian mixes you can find at Krishna Groceries in Poughkeepsie)

Back to the adventuresome cook part ... I recently purchased some mixes for dosa and other Indian specialties such as pakoras, which are batter-fried vegetables, and vadai, which is sort of lentil doughnut that is fried.

I had no problem whipping up the spiced potatoes for the filling, but the mix for the dosa left something to be desired. It was too thick and I could not get the consistency right, so it kept sticking to the pan. It also came out more like a pancake than the thin, crispy crepe good Indian restaurants produce.

(Fresh pequin and jalapeno peppers kick up the heat in spiced potatoes)

After using two boxes of mix and trying three different skillets, I finally got two crepes that were decent. (I was tempted at one point to make some manicotti crepes, which I can easily turn out, and make a cross of Indian and Italian flavors, but decided to keep plugging away!)
Maybe I need to hunt down a tava, a type of skillet without sides that is used for making these big crepes and Indian breads such as roti and chapati.

Better yet, I would love to sit in an Indian cook's kitchen and watch how dosa is done right. (I'm open for invites — I promise to be quiet and help clean up!)

So, not one to give up, here is my recipe for an awesome spiced potato filling.

Use it in a dosa if you're good, or just serve it with some eggs and ketchup!

(Spiced potatoes make a wonderful filling for dosa)

Indian Spiced Potatoes

1. Boil some potatoes until tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds (use a cover for the pan because the seeds will start to pop when heated).
3. Add a teaspoon of tumeric; stir.
4. To the scented oil, add 3-4 cloves of minced garlic; one chopped onion.
5. Let brown and add fresh hot peppers to taste (I used a combination of pequins and jalapenos).
6. Add 3/4 cup of fresh or frozen peas.
7. Add a handful of chopped fresh coriander.
8. Add the cooked potatoes; season with salt and pepper.
9. Let the mixture come together until heated through; taste and adjust the seasonings.

If you have a nice big dosa, add the filling to the crepe and serve with sambar and chutneys.

Namaste!