Dosa ( Crepes & Pancakes) Collection;Vegetarian; Meatless Monday.

South India is known for it's dosas! Dosas form the staple breakfast item in the southern states of India. There are hundreds of dosas based on the ingredients used in the batter. What are dosas? Dosas are basically crepes or pancakes made with fermented batter. The batter is usually made up of rice and some sort of lentil.  It could be thin like crepes or thick like pancakes! The crepes could be crispy or soft. The pancakes are all soft and fluffy! The best part is that they are ALL vegetarian! They are usually served with chutney, of which there are hundreds of varieties. While most dosas are savory, there are a few like Surnoli, Thausali that are sweet. However, for kids who are spice intolerant( read mine), they can be served with butter and/or honey/ jaggery syrup/sugar.

Today, I am sharing with you some of my favorite dosa recipes, all in one place! Click on the title of the individual dosa to get the recipe in full.

Colorful Dosas ( vegan pancakes & crepes)

Ragi Phanna Polo ( Instant seasoned finger millet crepes)

Surnali ( Buttermilk pancakes; eggless)

Ragi Masala Dosa ( Crispy millet crepe stuffed with sautéed carrots)

Paper Masala Dosa ( Gluten-free stuffed Crepe)

Quinoa Masala Dosa ( quinoa crepe with stuffing and chutney)

Moong dal dosa ( split moong-bean crepes)

Set Dosa ( Vegan pancakes, served with mixed vegetable stew and chutney)

Watermelon Dosa (pancakes made from batter with watermelon)

I hope you enjoyed this collection. If you are still not satisfied, just type in "dosa" in the search box on this page and many more dosa recipes will pop up!

I am bringing this amazing collection of dosas for my friends to try at Throwback Thursday#37, Fiesta Friday#118  and Saucy Saturdays#43! Angie's Fiesta Friday co-hosts this week are Kaila @ GF Life 24/7 and Laurena @ Life Diet Health

Ragi Masala Dosa ( Crispy millet crepe stuffed with sautéed carrots); Gluten free, Diabetes Friendly Thursday.

Served with coriander-coconut chutney and mixed vegetable sambhar

Masala dosa, paper masala dosa are all favorites in my home. Every weekend or every other weekend I make it. Every now and then, I try to make it healthier by substituting the traditional ingredients with healthy ingredients. Traditionally, sauteed seasoned potatoes are used as stuffing in these dosas. I have swapped the potatoes with carrots. This was a big hit when I made the tricolor masala dosa. Some of the successful variations that I regularly make is quinoa masala dosa and the Ragi masala dosa. The crepes made with  both these batters come out as crispy as the regular masala dosa batter. Today, I am going to share with you the recipe for Ragi masala dosa. Ragi is basically finger millet that is cultivated predominantly in Karnataka State of India since the iron ages. It is one of the key ingredients of the staple diet of Karnataka .It  It is a great source of protein and extremely healthy and nourishing. You can read more about it in the footnote section below.

Served with coriander-coconut chutney and mixed vegetable sambhar

This recipe is part of the Diabetes Friendly Thursday series. There are many diabetic people who are intolerant to gluten or have celiac disease and cannot consume food items that have gluten in them: wheat, barley and rye.DFT is not only diabetic friendly but has also stepped up to go " GLUTEN FREE" this time! Enjoy the gluten-free diabetic friendly recipes from the DFT bunch!

Creating Recipes with a Cause!

I am a proud DFT blogger. 

To learn about DFT, read this link. 

To view more DFT recipes, Click here!

Made at a different time, served with ridge-gourd peel chutney and sambhar.

Servings: 6 ( One masala dosa per person)

Ingredients :

For the batter:

Ragi flour: 1/2 cup
Chana dal( split yellow peas): 2 tbsp
Urad dal( split matpe beans): 3 tbsp
Raw rice: 1/3 cup
Methi seeds (Fenugreek seeds ): 1/4 tsp
Salt: to taste
Water: for soaking and grinding

For the carrot bhaji:

Carrots: 2 medium sized, diced
Coconut oil: 1/2 tsp ( any cooking oil can be used)
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Green chilli: 1 medium sized, slit
Salt : to taste

For the garlic chutney: click here for the recipe.

For the mixed vegetable Sambhar: click here for the recipe.

Method:

The dosa batter:

Soak the Chana dal,urad dal, rice and methi seeds together in water for 4-5 hours or overnight.

Grind all the ingredients  that were soaked to a batter with fine consistency using minimal water .The batter should not be runny. Let it ferment for 4-6 hours or overnight.

Add the Ragi flour to 3 cups water and mix well. Keep aside for 15-20 mins . 

The water and flour separate. Discard the top dark brown water. The sediment at the bottom will be lighter in color. 

Mix the Ragi sediment to the rest of the ground batter. Make sure that you mix it thoroughly. Add salt and mix well.

This part can be done just before making the dosa or can be mixed just after the rest of the batter is ground and ready. Again the batter should not be runny.

The stuffing ( baji):
Heat oil in a sauté pan. Add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and slit green chilli. Add the chopped carrots and salt. Cover and cook until the carrots are tender,around 10 minutes, stirring in between. Turn off the flame. Garnish with cilantro leaves and keep aside.

The garlic chutney: recipe here.

The mixed vegetable Sambhar: recipe here.

Putting it together:

Heat the griddle until hot on medium-high flame. Sprinkle a little water on the griddle. 

Add 1/2 cup dosa batter to the center of the griddle and spread it thin in concentric circles from inside to outside of the griddle. 

Add a few drops of oil to the edges of the dosa to make it crisp.

Cook the dosa until the underside begins to turn crisp. 

Smear the chutney to the center of the dosa. 

Place a tablespoonful of carrot bhaji on top of it. 

Roll the crepe as you remove it off the griddle or you could fold it into a triangle.

Served with coriander-coconut chutney and mixed vegetable sambhar

Serve immediately with coriander-coconut chutney and sambar. You could serve it with any chutney of your choice.

Made at a different time, served with ridge-gourd peel chutney and sambhar.

The dosa may appear darker than the regular masala dosa, but the taste is just awesome and makes for a balanced, healthy, nourishing breakfast to kick-start your day and something that will keep you full until lunchtime.

Do give it a try.I am bringing this to Angie's Fiesta Friday!

Enjoy!!

Cooking made easy:

You could mix the Ragi sediment into the mixer itself and blend it with the rest of the batter once the rest of the batter has been finely ground.

You can choose vegetables of your choice for the stuffing. Any combination of healthy, non-starchy vegetables will do. Sambhar for me is a great way to clean up the fridge. If you are out of vegetables, you can make Sambhar with just shallots or onions that have been diced large. It tastes delicious!

Footnotes( tip for healthy living):

Ragi/ finger millet is a healthy grain that is gluten free and is a great alternative to wheat. For time immemorial, finger millet has been a staple part of the diet of residents of Karnataka, a South Indian state. Karnataka happens to produce 58% of the Ragi grown in India.Ragi is one of the few grains that does not need to be polished and therefore is minimally processed. Ragi is a great source of protein, calcium and iron, hence very important for vegetarians and vegans. It has the highest percentage of protien when compared to other grains.It has a higher mineral content compared to all other cereals. It contains important amino acids that are not found in other cereals. It has the highest calcium  and potassium content in comparison with other cereals. It is also a great source of iron! It is also rich in B vitamins. It naturally is low in fat and high in dietary fiber due to the presence of it's bran. It is great alternative for rice and wheat for diabetics as it has a low glycemic index an therefore maintains the sugar levels stable for a longer period of time.Bottom-line, it is a very good food item that is beneficial for almost everyone!

The carrots in the bhaji are a great source of Vitamin A ( Beta carotene)  and a host of other powerful health benefits that include cancer prevention and anti-aging! One serving of carrots ( around 1 medium carrot or 1/2 cup chopped) will provide about 210% of the average daily recommended vitamin A, 10% of vitamin K, 6% of vitamin C and 2% of calcium!

The vegetables in the Sambhar contribute towards our daily required servings of vegetables and thereby the essential vitamins and minerals, not to mention the dietary fiber.

Garlic in the chutney is beneficial too as garlic has been purported to have several heart-healthy benefits, anti-cancer properties and supposedly helps in preventing arthritis.


Disclaimer:I am not a nutritionist or dietitian. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietitian before making any changes to your diet.

Do try these other gluten-free dishes from Team DFT:
1. Sonal 
https://simplyvegetarian777.wordpress.com/2015/09/23/paneer-tofu-keema-lettuce-wraps-dft/

2. Parvathy V Nair
https://crackleandtemper.wordpress.com/2015/09/23/kambu-bajra-dosai-pearl-millet-crepes-diabetic-friendly-thursdays/

3.Prachi Garg
http://divinespicebox.com/2015/09/23/zucchini-pancakes-with-yogurt-dill-sauce-dft/

4.Shailja Tomar Gonsalves
https://shailjatomar.wordpress.com/2015/09/23/moroccan-vegetable-stew-dft/

5. Anupama Nagarajakumar
http://easybitesonline.com/mixed-vegetable-saagu-diabetes-friendly/

6. Apsara Gopalarathnam
http://eatingwelldiary.com/2015/09/23/gongura-leaves-chutney-or-thuvaiyal-with-a-healthy-tip-dft/

7. Suchitra Kamath-Bhat
http://sus-healthy-living.blogspot.com/2015/09/ragi-masala-dosa-crispy-millet-crepe.html?

8. Srividhya Gopalakrishnan
http://www.vidhyashomecooking.com/2015/09/23/pearl-millet-gruel-kambu-koozh/

9. Swati NeerajGoyal

http://www.letscookhealthytonight.com/stuffed-paneer-and-carrot-ragi-paratha/

Food for thought:

What you are now comes from what you have been, and what you will be is what you do now. Gautama Buddha

Moong dal dosa ( split moong-bean crepes);Diabetes Friendly Thursday.

My dear friend from the blogger world, Sonal Gupta has started this wonderful initiative called Diabetes Friendly Thursday( DFT) on her blog simplyvegetarian777. On Thursdays, recipes that are healthy and beneficial for individuals suffering from Diabetes are posted. I applaud her for taking this initiative and would like to contribute to this noble cause. Our body is a reflection of what we put in it. There are many a health conditions that can be prevented/controlled by eating the right kind of food.My today's recipe fits the bill as there are only 3 ingredients in this food and has no carbohydrate in this recipe and is a great way to kick-start the day with protein in the diet.

My kids are vegetarian. I therefore am always on the lookout for ways to get more protein into their diet. Lentils and beans are a great source of protein. On one of the food groups that I belong too on Facebook, Ms. Shymala Kini posted this recipe for moong dal dosa that I found very interesting. The batter has just one main ingredient : moong dal or split moong beans. There is no rice in this batter making the dosa exclusively made up of protein with zero carbs. The best part is that this dosa does not require fermentation. You can grind the batter and make dosas immediately. I now make it quite often  and love it. You could make real crispy crepes or make it soft, whichever way you wish. It is super-simple to make and tastes yum when served with chutney.

Servings:3-4

Ingredients:

Moong dal: 1 cup
Water: 1/2 cup ( may need less) 
Salt: to taste 
Oil: to grease the skillet.

Method:

Soak moong dal in water for 2 hours. Grind it to a fine batter in a blender/mixer or food processor.  The batter should be on the thicker side. Add salt, mix well.

Heat a griddle/ skillet/ tawa on medium heat until hot.

Apply oil on the surface of the skillet. Take a ladleful of batter, pour it on the skillet. Spread the batter thinly  by moving the ladle in concentric circles.

Let the crepe/dosa cook until it can come off cleanly from the tawa. You can apply a little oil to the edges and the center of the dosa. This helps it become crisp and take it off the skillet easily.

Flip the dosa and let it cook for a minute on the other side.

Remove and serve hot with any chutney of your choice.

Moong dal dosa served with coconut-coriander chutney.

Enjoy. I am bringing this amazing dosa to Angie's Fiesta Friday! The wonderful duo of Loretta@ Safari of the mind and Ginger@Ginger and Bread are the co-hosts this week.

Cooking made easy:

If you have leftover batter of dosa or idli, you can store it in the refrigerator to be used the next day. To keep the batter fresh, the next day just throwaway  the separated water that you see on top of the batter and dilute the batter to the desired consistency with some fresh water. This helps prevent the batter from tasting sour the next day.

Tip for healthy living:

Moong dal is skinned dried moong beans. Moong dal therefore is a superfood that is naturally low in fat and high in fiber. It has a low glycemic index and therefore is beneficial to diabetics.

Food for thought:

Men, as well as women , are much oftener led by their hearts than by their understandings. Philip Stanhope

Watermelon Dosa ( Watermelon pancakes);GF

.

This is one of my favorites to make during the summer as there is plenty of watermelon lying around!! Yes, I had written this post during the end of summer but never got around to posting it!! Well, one is allowed to be nostalgic about the warm days on cold evenings! Also, in certain parts of the world like Australia it is summer ! Anyways, coming back to presents,when it comes to food, I hate wasting food. You surely have noticed that when we cut watermelon, we tend to throw out quite a lot of the red part of then watermelon with the peel/ rind. This recipe uses that part that you discard, the white fleshy part that you tend to throw out with the green peel. I also use the overripe watermelon to make this dosa. It gives it a nice, pretty pink color to the dosa which the kids absolutely love! This dosa is not only super-easy to make, it is a joy to eat! It is soft and fluffy with a hint of sweetness to it. You could pair it with a spicy chutney or eat it with honey/syrup/molasses like my kids do!

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

Rice: 1 1/2 cups
Urad dal: 2 tbsp
Methi( fenugreek seeds): 1/2 tsp
Watermelon rind and pieces : 1 cup
Beaten rice( poha):1/2 cup
Salt to taste.
Water : 3/4 cup for grinding the batter.( you may not use all of it).
Oil : to grease the tawa( skillet).

Method:

Soak rice, urad dal & methi together for 3-4 hours atleast or overnight.

Soak poha( beaten rice) for 10 mins ( just before you begin grinding the batter )and keep aside.

Grind the rice-dal mixture to a fine batter in the blender using watermelon pieces to it instead of water.Add water only as needed if it becomes difficult to grind.Once the rice is ground finely, add the soaked poha and blend it with the rest of the batter in the blender.

The batter should be slightly thick as in fermentation it tends to get a little thin..The batter has a faint pink hue.It is NOT bright pink or red in color!

Allow the batter to ferment overnight ( at least 6-8 hours).

Add salt  to the batter when you are ready to make the dosa.

Heat the skillet to medium hot, take a ladleful of batter and pour it on the skillet ( just like you would do while making pancake).

Cover with a lid, reduce the flame, and cook until you here a sizzling sound. Open the lid and see if you see any wet patches. If not, the dosa is done!

Remove from the skillet and serve hot! This dosa is cooked only on one side. DO NOT FLIP THE DOSA!

You can eat these soft fluffy dosas with wet or dry chutneys of your choice or with honey/ syrup/molasses!

Enjoy! I am taking these to Fiesta Friday as well, in case the Surnalis are all gone!

Cooking made easy:

Make sure that the flame is low while cooking this dosa or else the underside of the dosa will burn.

Once you have removed the dosa from the skillet, you can increase the flame to heat the skillet.Reduce the flame again, once the batter has been poured onto the skillet.

Tip for healthy living:

Not only is watermelon full of water and refreshing during the summer months, it also has several health benefits.It is rich in Vitamins A, B6 and C, lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids. It is also fat-free and low-calorie food. The lycopene in it makes it a heart-healthy and anti-inflammatory food.

Food for thought:

You change your life by changing your heart. Max lucado

Surnali ( Buttermilk pancakes; eggless)

It is interesting that quite a few of our memories are associated with food. When I think of my childhood, I think of my mother's cooking . One of the things that she used to make for breakfast was dosa( pancake and crepes).My mother makes a whole variety of dosas. Interestingly, I am very fond of dosas; all kinds! I could never tire of dosas!! I just love them!!!

One of the dosas my mother would make is Surnali. Surnali is a traditional konkani dosa( pancake), where in the batter is made by the addition of buttermilk and then fermented. The resulting dosa is soft and fluffy like cotton!! It is absolutely the melt-in-the-mouth kinds! Oh, did i forget to mention that it is also sweet. So you don't need to add any additional syrup/molasses or honey. By default Surnali is sweet, the batter is sweetened by the addition of jaggery;  but we do have a non-sweet version called "cheppi Surnali". For cheppi Surnali, you just have to forego the addition of jaggery while grinding the batter. This is very easy to make, but care has to be taken to ensure that the ground batter is thick. The addition of jaggery tends to make the batter a little runny, so this needs to be factored in. Also, the dosa/pancake has a tendency to get burnt easily , again due to the presence of jaggery in the batter. Therefore, more attention is needed while preparing the pancake on the griddle.Traditionally,surnali batter is made with the addition of freshly grated coconut. My mother does not do that. Instead she uses a little urad dal( split matpe bean), which also helps it to become soft and fluffy.

Servings: 4 ( 10-12 pancakes).

Ingredients:

White Rice: 1 1/2 cup
Urad dal (split Matpe bean):1 tbsp ( Can use 1/4 cup freshly grated coconut instead of urad dal).
Buttermilk/ yogurt: 1 cup( for grinding the batter, may need less)
Methi seeds: 1 tsp
Poha( beaten rice): 3/4 cup
Water: 1 cup, to soak the poha
Jaggery: 1 cup(skip if making cheppi Surnali)
Turmeric powder: a pinch.
Salt: as per taste.

Method:

Soak white rice, urad dal and methi seeds for at least 2-3 hours.
Soak the poha( beaten rice) in  one cup water for 10 mins, then squeeze, remove and keep aside.
Grind it  using the yogurt/buttermilk to a fine batter. Add the soaked poha , jaggery and grind again. Now add the turmeric powder and blend well. Make sure that the batter is on the thicker side and not runny.

Let it ferment for at least 5-6 hours if the weather is warm; may take 8 hours in cold weather.

Just before making the pancakes, add  salt as needed and mix well.

Heat the griddle/ skillet, grease it using oil/ghee/butter. Add a ladleful of batter. Do not spread the batter too much.

Reduce the flame to low, cover and cook until you hear a faint hissing sound. If there are no wet spots on the dosa, it is done. Remove from the griddle. This dosa IS NOT TO BE FLIPPED. It is cooked only on one side.

Serve hot with a dollop of butter. You do not need to add any additional syrup or honey.

If it is cheppi surnali (the non-sweet version), serve it with some chutney!

Yummy! I am salivating as I am writing this! I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday! Margy & Juju are the co-hosts this week!

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

The key to making a nice soft and fluffy Surnali is the consistency of the batter and the amount of fermentation. The batter has to be on the thicker side and has to be well fermented. Well fermented means that it has to rise a little but not turn sour.

Also, this dosa has a tendency to caramalise and burn easily on the bottom while the dosa is still uncooked. Hence it is essential to lower the flame as soon as the batter is put on the griddle and cook it on low flame until the dosa is cooked.

Tip for healthy living:

Probiotics are essential for the healthy functioning of the gut. Yogurt and other fermented foods are rich in probiotics and therefore beneficial to the gut. Try to include at least one serving of probiotic rich food in your everyday diet.

Food for thought:

Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship. Omar N. Bradley