Name: Dosai with spiced potatoes and tamarind chutney
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 450 gm (2¼ cups) long-grain rice; 105 gm (½ cup) urid dhal; ½ tbsp fenugreek seeds; 80 ml (1/3 cup) melted ghee; To serve: grated coconut, thinly sliced long green chilli, mint and ground chilli; Tamarind chutney; 160 gm tamarind pulp; ½ tsp cumin seeds, crushed; 1 tsp vegetable oil; ½ tsp ground ginger; ¼ tsp ground chilli; 110 gm (½ cup) light palm sugar; Spiced potatoes; 800 gm (about 6 small) Dutch cream potatoes, cut into 3cm pieces; 60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil; ½ onion, finely chopped; 2 tbsp finely grated ginger; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 5 fresh curry leaves; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 1 tsp ground coriander; ¼ tsp turmeric; ½ cup (loosely packed) coriander, coarsely chopped; 1 long green chilli, finely chopped

Dosai with spiced potatoes and tamarind chutney

Recipe for dosai with spiced potatoes and tamarind chutney.

Serves 8

Prep

35M

Cook

1H 5M

Total

1H 40M

Dosai are traditionally cooked in a flat heavy pan called a tawa. Rubbing it with a cut onion is said to make the pan non-stick. A non-stick frying pan or crêpe pan is a reliable alternative. Start this recipe two days ahead to soak the grains and ferment the batter.

Ingredients

450 gm (2¼ cups) long-grain rice

105 gm (½ cup) urid dhal

½ tbsp fenugreek seeds

80 ml (1/3 cup) melted ghee

To serve: grated coconut, thinly sliced long green chilli, mint and ground chilli

Tamarind chutney

160 gm tamarind pulp

½ tsp cumin seeds, crushed

1 tsp vegetable oil

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground chilli

110 gm (½ cup) light palm sugar

Spiced potatoes

800 gm (about 6 small) Dutch cream potatoes, cut into 3cm pieces

60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil

½ onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp finely grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5 fresh curry leaves

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp turmeric

½ cup (loosely packed) coriander, coarsely chopped

1 long green chilli, finely chopped

Method

Main

1.Rinse rice under cold running water, then place in a large container, cover with cold water and soak for 10 hours or overnight.

2.Preheat oven to 120C. Rinse dhal under cold running water until the water runs clear, then soak in cold water with fenugreek for 1 hour. Drain and process in a food processor with 100ml water until smooth (2 minutes), then transfer to a large bowl. Drain rice and process in a food processor with 125ml water until smooth, but still a little grainy. Add to dhal with 150ml water, stir to combine, then cover with foil and place in oven with heat turned off to ferment (12-24 hours; the batter is fermented when bubbly and thick, with a slight fermented smell). Remove from oven, stir in 1½ tsp sea salt flakes and set aside in a warm place to continue fermenting (8-10 hours).

3.For tamarind chutney, soak tamarind pulp in 300ml water in a bowl to soften (5 hours). Strain, reserving pulp and liquid, then push pulp through a sieve and combine with half the liquid (discard remaining liquid) in a bowl. Dry-roast cumin seeds, add oil, ginger and chilli to the pan, stir to combine, then add tamarind and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced (2-3 minutes). Add palm sugar, season to taste, stir until thick (5-7 minutes) and allow to cool.

4.For spiced potatoes, cook potatoes in a saucepan of simmering salted water until tender (25-30 minutes), then drain well and set aside. Heat oil in a large frying pan, add onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves, cook until onion is soft (7-8 minutes), then add spices and stir until fragrant. Add potatoes and 80ml water, cover and simmer for flavours to combine and potatoes are very soft (3-5 minutes). Stir in coriander and green chilli and season to taste.

5.Heat ½ tbsp ghee in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour in enough batter to thinly cover the base when swirled (the batter should be a thin pancake consistency; add a little water if it’s too thick) or use the base of a ladle working in a spiral motion from the centre to the edges for a thinner spread, and cook dosa, turning once, until golden and crisp (2-3 minutes each side). Wipe out pan with paper towels and repeat with remaining ghee and batter. Top dosai with spiced potatoes, coconut, green chilli, mint and ground chilli, and serve with tamarind chutney.