It’s not new how our breakfasts usually have the South Indian influence and dosa is one of the easiest and quickest option – both for breakfast as well as dinner. I usually make a batch of idli batter and dosa batter every week and that would be my savior for the rest of the week. I want proper breakfast and never can be satisfied with a fruit or bowl of oats or corn flakes. The fact that I didn’t have anything solid would be haunting me until lunch, by when I would have a big headache. So I don’t listen to anyone but my body for the breakfast and don’t mind a heavy one at all, as long as it’s not oily.
Although regular dosas are commonly made at our house, this is a recipe I learnt from my MIL. When we were visiting them a couple of years back, she served me this dosa. Her usual dosas are super soft and white in color. Having had those dosas, this looked totally new to me and on checking I got to know that she used different cereals in the dosa batter. Isnt that a great idea? Instead of using only the rice, she used Ragi (finger millet), Kambu/Bajra (pearl millet) and Solam (Sorghum) in equal proportions. As these cereals are soaked along with the rice and ural dal, the making of the batter is as simple as the regular batter. The dosa turns out slightly brownish in color but is quite tasty. I have replicated her recipe a number of times and it’s such a healthy alternative to the regular dosa. Any spicy chutney would be apt to go along with these dosas but as usual coconut chutney is quite too. Check out the different South Indian Chutneys here.
Wash and soak all the rice varieties and cereals/pulses (idly rice, dosa rice, ragi/finger millet, kambu/pearl millet, solam/sorghum, urad dal) along with fenugreek seeds in adequate amount of water for atleast 8 hours.
In a wet grinder or mixer grinder, grind the soaked rice and cereal into a fine batter. Let the batter ferment in a warm place for another 6-8 hours. The batter would have risen up. Beat it down and add salt required. Mix well. If the batter is too thick, add ½ cup of water.
The batter should be of pour-able consistency but not too watery. Take a ladle full of batter and spread it into a perfect round on a hot dosa tawa or flat pan. Sprinkle few drops of oil on the sides of the dosa. When the sides of the dosa are turning crispy and the center looks cooked (with golden brown spots), remove it onto a plate.
Serve hot with a chutney of your choice – Peanut Tomato Chutney, Ridge Gourd Chutney, Cabbage Chutney, Carrot Chutney and Onion Tomato Chutney or Chutney Powders like Flaxseeds Podi or Melon Seeds Podi.
The cereals require atleast 8 hrs to soak properly inorder to grind easily. As ragi is used in the making of the dosa, the color of the dosa is slightly browned and the skin of the ragi would be visible in the dosa. Doesn’t impact the taste. The batter has to ferment and raise to double the quantity – store the prepared batter in a warm place for atleast 8hrs. If you are making the dosa on a nonstick pan, oil can be skipped ( I usually don’t use oil on my dosas) The batter stays good in the refrigerator for upto a week later which it can turn sour.
