INSTANT DOSA

 INSTANT DOSA

Dosas are an integral part of our South Indian cuisine! They are served for breakfast in many homes in South India, and increasingly are becoming popular all over the country. Many friends, both here and abroad, not familiar with our cuisine have been astonished at the wide variety of dosas that we make! 

In this blog, for example, you will find recipes for different types of dosas such as:-

• Rice Rava Dosa
• Bellappa Dosa
• Moong Dal Dosa
• Urad and Moong Dal Dosa

They differ in terms of the ingredients that go into making them and the process for making them. Usually we make dosas by soaking the ingredients, grinding them to form a batter then leaving the batter to ferment.   

However, there are some types of dosas for which fermentation of the batter is not required. You need less time to make them and they come in handy quite often when you are hard pressed for time. 

Today's recipe is for a dosa which does not need fermentation of the batter. It is made using cooked rice, rice flour and wheat flour. We also add semolina to give the dosas a good texture. In this recipe, we can make best use of the left over cooked rice. I have adapted this from Instant Dosa With Leftover Rice from Chitra's Foodbook. 

I tried this out the other day and it came out very well.

If you try this out and like the recipe, please do leave a comment in the blog. Thank you! 

Ingredients:-

• Cooked Rice, 1 cup
• Rice Flour, 1 cup
• Wheat Flour, 1/4 cup 
• Curds, 1/4 cup
• Semolina/ Rava, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Cooking Soda, 1/4 tsp
• Oil, as required for making dosas

Method:-

Grind together the cooked rice, rice flour, wheat flour, and curds, in a mixer, to a smooth paste adding the required amount of water. ( This batter should be of the consistency of the regular dosa batter)  

Transfer the ground batter to a vessel 

To this add the semolina, salt to taste and cooking soda

Mix well and set aside for 5-10 minutes 

Check the consistency and add very little water if required

Heat a tawa and when it is sufficiently hot add a ladleful of batter and spread it to form the dosa
Drizzle a little oil on and around the dosa 

Cook covered on medium heat till one side of the dosa gets done
Flip and cook the other side likewise
Serve hot Instant Dosa with a chutney of your choice

KAYI SASIVE CHITRANNA

KAYI SASIVE CHITRANNA

In our State of Karnataka, Chitranna is a popular dish generally made of cooked rice. Of course, you can use freshly made rice too but you would have to cool it adequately. I prefer to use cooked rice which is often available at home as this saves time and puts the extra rice to profitable use.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for Nellikayi Chitranna, (Gooseberry Rice), Nimbehannu Chitranna, (Lime Rice) and Maavinkayi Chitranna, (Raw Mango Rice).

Today's recipe was pointed out to me by my friend, Shamala Bhat. I have adapted this from
Kayi Sasive Anna from Mysoorean blog. Now, Kayi means coconut, and Sasive means mustard in Kannada. Hence this dish derives its name from the two main ingredients that are ground together to make it.

Ingredients:

• Cooked Rice, 3 to 3 and 1/2 cups 
• Salt, to taste

To Be Ground To A Paste:

• Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Roasted Red Byadgi Chillies, 3
• Tamarind, small gooseberry-sized 
• Green Chillies, 2
• Mustard Seeds, 1 heaped tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida, a generous pinch

For Seasoning

• Mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Groundnuts,1 tbsp
• Black Gram  (Urad Dal), 1/2 tsp
• Bengal Gram (Chana Dal), 1/2 tsp 
• Dried Red Chillies, broken, 1-2
• Curry Leaves, a sprig
• Oil, 2 tbsp

Method:

In a mixer, grind together the coconut gratings, roasted red chillies, tamarind, and green chillies along with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and asafoetida to a smooth paste using very little water. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and when it gets hot, add mustard seeds and when they splutter add the groundnuts and fry for a while
Add the Urad Dal and Chana Dal and fry till the dals change colour and become golden
Next add the broken dried red chillies and curry leaves and fry till they become crisp
Now add the ground paste that you have prepared and fry for 1-2 minutes
Lastly, add the cooked rice and salt and mix thoroughly so that the rice grains are evenly coated with the ground paste

GARLIC RICE

GARLIC RICE

In the South of India, we have no problems whatsoever if we find we have an excess of cooked rice as we make different dishes using cooked rice such as Curry Leaves Rice, Coriander Leaves Rice, and Capsicum Masala Rice.

Another rice variety which I make is Garlic Rice where we use roasted garlic cloves. This goes well served with raitha and pappad,

It is important to peel the garlic and lightly crush them, as otherwise unpeeled garlic is likely to spurt when put in hot oil.

Ingredients:

• Cooked Rice, 3 cups
• Garlic Cloves, 5 + 10
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 3-4
• Coriander Seeds, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Bengal Gram Dal (Channa Dal), 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Black Gram Dal (Urad Dal), 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Oil, 5 tsp
• Mustard, 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves, a few
• Salt, to taste

Method:

Peel and lightly crush the garlic pods

In a small pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and roast the channa dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, red chillies and 5 garlic cloves till the dals change colour, the chillies become crisp and the garlic pods give off a good aroma.

Remove from the gas and allow it to cool

Once it cools, grind it to a powder in a mixer. Keep aside.

In a thick-bottomed kadhai, add oil and when it gets hot add the remaining 10 garlic cloves and sprinkle a little salt on them,  Saute the garlic till they turn a light brown. Keep aside. 

In the same kadhai add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the curry leaves, saute for a few seconds

Lower the heat and add the cooked rice along with salt, and the ground spice powder. Mix thoroughly till the cooked rice and the spice powder get well-blended

Lastly garnish with the roasted garlic cloves

Serve with pappad and raitha or your choice