Tags
chutney, coconut, coriander, dosa, fenugreek, gluten- free, lime, masala, mint, mustard seeds, onion, saag aloo, spinach, sweet potato, tumeric, vegan, vegetarian
… why have i only just met you Dosa? You beautiful, delicious wonderful thing you! Traditionally gluten- free and vegan these wonderful light pancakes can be filled with a whole range of delicacies. I aimed to go traditional with Sweet Potato Masala but i guess it turned out more like Saag Aloo in that i substituted the dhal for spinach (as i felt there was enough dhal from the batter). You are meant to let the batter ferment over night which i somehow managed to overlook whilst i was preparing this dish. So i can’t really say what the difference would be, what i can say it that our Dosa turned out perfectly- light, soft and delicate. I served these alongside a cool Coconut and Mint chutney and a hot Lime and Onion chutney, and of course, plenty of fresh, raw salad.
Dosa:
(Makes 5, Vegan, Gluten- free)
- 1/2 cup of Brown Rice
- 1/3 cup of Dhal
- 4 tablespoons of water + water for soaking
- 1 tablespoon of Oil + extra for cooking
- 1 small Chilli
- 1/2 Onion (1/4 for batter, 1/4 wedge for applying oil to pan)
- Soak the rice and dhal separately for at least 6 hours, drain and rinse well
- Add the rice, half the oil, chilli, onion and half the water to blender and pulse until very smooth (can take up to 6 minutes)
- Repeat with the dhal, then combine both in a bowl
- Add more water as you need to, one tablespoon at a time, until you have a runny batter
- Cover and leave overnight to ferment
- Heat a skillet until very hot, pour a small amount of oil on the onion wedge and smear onto your pan
- Add two ladles of batter to the pan and use the ladle (or a crepe roller thing) to spread the batter into a large, thin circle
- Cook until bubbles appear and you can see that batter is heating through (about 1 minute), flip and cook on the other side for 1 minute
Saag Aloo Masala:
- 2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
- 4 handfuls of Spinach
- 1/2 Onion, sliced
- 2 cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1 small Chilli, finely chopped
- 1/3 bunch fresh Coriander
- 1 teaspoon of Mustard Seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of Tumeric
- 1 tablespoon of Fenugreek Leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon of Sea Salt
- 1 tablespoon of Oil
- Pop the potatoes in a small pan and cover with fresh water
- Bring to the boil, reduce the heat slightly and cook for 12 minutes, or until soft, drain
- Heat the oil in a skillet and add the spices, onion and chilli, cook for 4 minutes
- Add the garlic, potatoes and salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring carefully so you don’t mush the potatoes
- Add the coriander and spinach and cook until just wilted, transfer to a bowl
- Wipe your skillet and heat again, add two dosa at a time (half of each will hang over the edge) add two spoonfuls of masala and fold over the dosa, press down gently and heat for 1 minute, repeat until all dosa are cooked
Cool Coconut & Mint Chutney:
- 1/2 cup of Coconut cooked flesh
- handful of Mint leaves
- teaspoon of Nigella Seeds
- Pop everything in a blender and pulse for 2 minutes
- Transfer to a bowl
Hot Lime & Onion Chutney:
- 1 Red Onion, sliced
- zest and flesh of 1 Lime (save the skin also)
- 1 teaspoon of Oil
- 1 tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of unprocessed sugar
- Heat the oil in a small, heavy based pan
- Add the onion and lime and cook for 5 minutes until soft
- Add the vinegar and sugar and cook until syrupy.