Masala Dosa done right for nutrition night

(This stainless steel vessel is a great way to hold bulk spices. I bought it at Krishna Grocery on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie)

Quite by happenstance, I got my wish to sit in an Indian cook's kitchen and watch how a masala dosa is made.

I recently went to Chandra's house in preparation for the Poughkeepsie Journal's Dial-a-Dietitian night, which is Thursday. Chandra writes a bi-monthly column for the Busy Cook page and will be part of the panel of dietitians from the Mid-Hudson Dietetic Association who will field calls from the public from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday night. We host this public service every March, which is National Nutrition Month. This year's theme is "Eat Right," which is something we should all be mindful of these days.

If you have a question you would like answered by our knowledgeable panel, call 845-451-4541 between the hours of 6 and 8 p.m. (EST) March 19. (Don't call before then, please!) You can also submit a question online by filling out the form at www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/news/forms/dietitian.htm

But back to the masala dosa.

Chandra offered to talk about spices for a video we are running with the preview story on this annual event.
Gracious host and skilled cook that she is, Chandra whipped out her electric skillet after filming was complete and offered to make us — are you ready for this — masala dosa! I must have died and gone to heaven. Masala dosa is one of my favorite Indian meals, and one I did not have much luck trying to make, as I recounted in a past post you can check here (the filling was delicious; the crepe, not so much).

Chandra made it look so easy. (And doesn't she look beautiful in her colorful sari? She is such a class act.)

Here's how she did it:

The batter is made with a combination of urad dal and rice, left to soak, then ground up and allowed to ferment overnight. The electric skillet is great for making these.

Skillfully, she spread the batter out in a circle on the hot pan. No fear here!

She kept spreading the batter until it was nice and thin and had formed a large circle.

When the dosa was almost done, Chandra added the potato filling and drizzled a little oil around the edges of the crepe so it would not stick to the pan.

The dosa is just about ready to be folded ...

... and lifted onto a plate.

It was light and delicious — thank you Chandra!

Her recipe is featured on today's Busy Cook page along with a story about Dial-a-Dietitian night on the cover of the Life section.

Here is Chandra's recipe:

(Masala Dosa, idli, a steamed lentil-rice type of dumpling, and homemade nut chutney were scrumptious.)

Masala Dosa

(Potato Stuffed Dosa)

For the batter:

1. 1 cup urad dal
2. 2 1⁄2-3 cups rice or rice flour (3 cups for crispness)
3. Preparation:
4. Soak the dal and rice for 3-4 hours. Drain; blend them smoothly together in a ginder or food processor. If you are using rice flour, blend the dal and mix the flour. Add some water and salt and let the mixture sit out overnight to ferment.

For the filling:

1. 1 pound (3 or 4 medium) potatoes,white or red
2. 2 medium onions
3. 1-2 tablespoons of oil
4. Salt, to taste
5. Pinch of turmeric powder
6. Handful of freshly chopped cilantro leaves
7. 1-2 fresh green chilies, chopped
   
8. Frozen green peas and carrots (about 1 cup or so)
   
9. 1/4 teaspoon garlic-ginger paste

For seasoning: Chana dal, urad dal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fresh curry leaves (if available)

• Boil the potatoes; cut into cubes; set aside. Dice the onions.
• Add about 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet; add the seasonings and simmer until aromatic.
• Add the diced onions and green chilies; cook until golden brown. Add turmeric, salt, peas, carrots, garlic-ginger paste and potatoes and mix well; cook for few more minutes.
• Sprinkle in the cilantro just before you remove the pan from the stove.
  

How to make dosa:

Equipment: Nonstick pan or electric pancake maker (skillet), spatula, ladle.

• Heat the pan or skillet on medium-high heat. Spray with oil or drizzle a little bit of oil on the pan and wipe with a paper towel so the batter will not stick.
• Take a ladleful of batter and spread it out on the heated pan in a circle; add or spray a little bit of oil around the edges. Let brown, then add some potato stuffing in the middle and fold it over; serve hot.
• If you want a very crisp dosa, flip the crepe over before adding the potato stuffing, fold and serve.

Namaste

Hear what Chandra has to say about spices and how they can contribute to a healthful diet by checking out this video:

See video