Filling for Dosa Pancake

Sandi (From CA)'s Note:

This stuffing is used for filling the dosa but can be eaten as a vegetable accompaniment to any Indian meal. NOTE: You should make the first dosa or pancake as a test pancake only, with a smaller amount of batter. It usually sticks to the pan a little and curls. After this, the pan is uniformly covered by a film of oil and pancakes cook better. Yield and times are estimated since I haven't made these before.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 1/2 kg potato
• 200 g onions, peeled and sliced thinly
• 2 -3 green chilies, chopped (adjust to taste)
• 1 inch gingerroot, peeled and grated
• 1/2-1 cup frozen peas or 1/2-1 cup fresh shelled peas
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• salt
• 1 bunch coriander leaves, chopped
• 1/2-1 cup water

For tarka or tempering

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 pinch asafetida powder
• 1 teaspoon black gram dal (urad or urd or urid)
• 1 teaspoon bengal gram dal or 1 teaspoon channa dal
• 1 -2 dried red chili, broken up
• 10 -12 curry leaves (not bay leaves)

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes in their skin in a pressure cooker for 3-4 pressures or in a pan of boiling water until tender. You can microwave them in a sandwich bag, with 2-3 tbs. water, for 6-8 minutes. You must leave a hole for the steam to escape, otherwise, the bag may ‘splode. ;)
2. Allow to cool, peel and break roughly into small pieces. Keep aside.
3. Tempering & making the filling:
4. Heat oil in a wok.
5. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida powder, chana and urad dal, and let the seeds splutter. Keep the lid on to avoid seeds jumping all over your kitchen.
6. When dals begin to turn brown, add curry leaves and broken red chillies and stir.
7. Add onions, green chillies, ginger and fry for a couple of minutes.
8. Add salt, turmeric and chilli powder and water. Simmer with the lid closed, until onions are well cooked.
9. Add potatoes (and peas if used) and cook until it is all mixed well and water is absorbed. the potatoes should have a slightly mashed look.
10. Add coriander leaves and mix.
11. Serve alongside a Dosa or use as a filling for the dosa.

Reviews

[cookerbaker]

As authentic as the best dosa restaurants. Boiled the potatoe in the microwave.

[eatrealfood]

Spot on! Made it exactly as posted. Boiling the potatoes beforehand is key. My error in making dosa filling was that I used to just saute the potatoes - but obviously that turns them crispy or brown, and while they are perfectly delicious, they are not true to the traditional dosa filling. This one is, right down to the seasonings and the quantities. It's also great if you add some peas to to potatoes as well, which I like to do and recommend.

[Theodwyn]

Delicious! I used 3 medium potatoes and 1/2 a yellow onion for a smallish batch (wasn't sure anyway how much to use as I don't have a scale). I left out the chilies and the peas and everything in the second list, as I didn't have any of it--still turned out delicious!. I used the full amount of turmeric but put in a handful of coriander leaves instead of a bunch. I actually cooked the potatoes in the microwave and added them to the other ingredients with no water--the oil in the fried onions made everything nice and creamy.