Masala Dosa is on almost everyone’s favorite list. The masala dosa that my mom prepares… my mouth is already watering! I have eaten this since childhood and loved it every single time. I like dosa only if it is accompanied by a great curry or side dish or chutney. The sides has to overpower the dosa, only then its fun and for me the normal coconut chutney is not fun :D Now you know why I love masala dosa :D!!

This dish is prepared in n number of ways. The dosa prepared by different people tastes differently. My friend D’s mother used to prepare awesome dosa but it tasted so different from the one at home. In our college days, I used to frequent her house and aunty prepared some really awesome food. They were routine dishes but her engayi, dosa, vaangibhat, puliogre, bisibeLebhaat are unforgettable!  I think every dosa tastes unique and has got to do with the person spreading the batter on the griddle :D!

The following recipe is the way we prepare it at home. Variations can be made to suit your taste.

Ingredients:
For Dosa:
1 cup urad daal
3 cups raw rice
1/2 cup beaten rice medium variety (poha)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
1 tbsp chana daal
salt to taste
water to grind

For potato bhaji:
3  medium potatoes boiled
5-6 medium onions thinly sliced
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp asafoetida
10 curry leaves
5-6 green chillies finely chopped or to taste
1 tsp chana daal (optional)
1/2 cup green peas (optional)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2-3 tbsp oil
salt to taste
few sprigs of coriander finely chopped
lime juice to taste (optional)

For coconut ginger chutney:
1 cup grated coconut
1″ piece ginger
1 marble size ball tamarind
2-3 green chillies or to taste
salt to taste

Method:

Dosa Batter:
Wash and soak all the ingredients except poha and salt in sufficient water for 6-8 hours. If you want the dosa for morning, soak the ingredients the previous day morning. Before grinding the batter wash the poha well and keep aside. Drain out the water from the soaked ingredients. Grind together with poha to a fine paste adding little water at a time. Add enough water so you are able to spread the batter but its not too thin or watery. Keep aside for fermentation. This process takes about 8-10 hours depending on the climate and  temperature.

For Bhaji:
The boiled potatoes can either be mashed or diced into 1 cm cubes per choice. I like them diced as they mix well and yet you can see and taste the onions too. Mashing sometimes makes the bhaji sticky. In the end the choice is yours!

Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add the mustard seeds. As the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the cumin, chana daal, asafoetida, green chillies, curry leaves. Mix for 30 seconds and then add the onions. As the onions turn translucent, add the green peas and fry till the onions are cooked and the peas are soft. Add in the turmeric powder and mix for a min.

Now, add the diced potatoes and mix well. Add salt to taste and few sprigs of coriander finely chopped. Mix well for 3-5 minutes. Add lime juice if you like and mix well. Turn off the flame. Keep aside.

For coconut ginger chutney:
Grind all the ingredients to a fine paste adding little water at a time. Adjust the salt and ginger to taste and keep aside.

For masala dosa:
Once the batter is fermented, add salt to taste and mix well.
Heat the tawa or griddle. Once hot, you could either rub a wet cloth or half an onion. Spread the batter on the tawa. I like them crisp, so I spread it thin. The choice again is yours. Flip the dosa on the other side once the bottom side is cooked. As the other side cooks, flip the dosa back. Spread the potato bhaji in the center in a line. Fold the dosa and take off the flame.

Serve hot with coconut ginger chutney and enjoy the yummy masala dosa! :)

My aunt prepares this dosa by adding a little sugar to the batter and using butter instead of oil for frying the dosas. Tastes amazing!

Ingredients:
1 cup dosa rice
2 tbsp grated coconut
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:
Soak the rice overnight or for at least 6 hours. Grind the rice with coconut into a fine paste(finer the better). To this paste, add salt and water. The consistency of this batter should be thin, a tad thicker than water.

Heat tawa. Once the tawa is hot spread some oil. Now pour the batter to form a thin dosa on the tawa. Fry only on one side. Once done the dosa is done, it will begin to leave the sides of the tawa.

Serve hot with any chutney!!

Ingredients:
1 cup Urad daal (white lentils)
2 cups dosa rice (or any white rice)
½ tsp Methi (fenugreek seeds)
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:
The quantity of rice is 2 cups here if you are preparing the batter using a mixer. Increase the quantity to about 3 cups if you are using a wet grinder.

Wash and soak the urad daal, rice and methi in water for about 6-8 hours. Drain out the water and grind them together into a fine batter. Add enough water to obtain running consistency. Keep the batter aside for about 8-10 hours for it to ferment(either overnight or a day).

Add salt to the fermented batter and mix well. Heat tawa. Wet a piece of cloth and run it on the tawa. Spread a tbsp of batter on the tawa. Sprinkle some oil and as the dosa fries on one side, turn it for the other side to be fried. Remove from tawa and crispy dosas are ready!

Serve with red chilli onion chutney or any side dish of your choice!!