Crispy dosa and channa dal fritters

Crispy urud dal pancakes

dosa batter

1 1/2 cup parboiled, short grain or idly rice

1/2 cup husked split urud or black gram dal

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/2 cup rice flakes or cooked rice

1/2 tsp salt

Soak the rice with 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds in a bowl. In another bowl soak the dal with 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds overnight or for at least 6 to 8 hours. Water should be at least an inch above the level of the rice and dal.

Grind the soaked rice separately to a fine smooth paste. Grind the dal to a lightly coarse texture. Grind the leftover cooked rice or washed rice flakes with some water. Then add all the ingredients together with the salt to taste and leave it for about 6 hours to ferment in a big bowl as the batter may double when fermenting. 

Before making the dosa add water to the batter to make a pourable consistency that is not runny.

Heat a hot griddle and wipe it with some oil, then pour the batter with a ladle and using the back of the laddle quickly smoothen it in a circular motion. 

Sometimes I cover with a lid, as I find the dosa cooks quickly. When the sides are cooked it is easy to flip and cook the other side. 

Serve hot with chutney and sambar.

Coriander chilli coconut chutney

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup coriander leaves

2 green chillie

1/2 tbsp tamarind pulp

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp salt to taste

Grind all the ingredients together.

Tempering

1 tbsp oil 

1/4 tsp mustard seeds 

1 tbsp onion

Heat the oil and the spices. Add the onion and when it is soft add it to the ground mixture and serve. 

Masala vada

1 cup channa dal or split chickpeas

water to soak

1 green chillie

2 tbsp onion chopped

1/4 tsp cumin and fennel seeds

1 or 2 curry leaves

1/2 tsp salt

oil for frying

Soak the channa dal overnight or for about 3 hours with enough water. Grind the dal coarsely without water, add a tbsp of water at a time if needed for the grinder. 

Cut green chillie, curry leaves and onion and add it to the ground dal with cumin, fennel and salt. 

I added a little hot oil into the mixture to bind before frying. Fry in high heat oil until the vada becomes golden brown, reduce the heat if the vada is becoming brown fast.

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