THAKKALI DOSAI/ TOMATO n DAL DOSA

       Bored of the routine white dosas? Try a different colored one! This is a nutritious orange-colored pancake prepared from batter made up of rice, toor dal (split pigeon pea), moong dal (split green gram), tomatoes, red chillies and coconut.

The origin of the recipe is from Andhra and hence an authentic dish too. The batter needs no fermentation as tomatoes are added for the sourness. It is usually had with coconut chutney or pottukalla podi (roasted gram chutney powder) with raw onions, usually the white ones.

     

INGREDIENTS

Idli rice or Regular rice - 2 cups

Ripe tomatoes (medium sized) - 3 nos

Toor dal/ Thuvaram paruppu - 1/4 cup

Moong dal/ Paasi paruppu - 3 tablespoons

Red dry chillies/ Vara milagai - 6 to 7 nos (or as required)

Coconut (scrapped) - 3 tablespoons (optional)

Curry leaves (finely chopped) - 2 to 3 sprigs 

Coriander leaves/ Cilantro (finely chopped) - 2 to 3 sprigs

Oil - as required

salt - as required

METHOD

1. Soak rice, toor dal and moong dal for atleast 1 hour.

2. Grind together the rice, red chillies, toor dal and moong dal. 

3. Ensure the chilly flakes are properly grounded. Then add in the tomatoes after roughly chopping them and give it a grind. Grind to a comparatively fine paste. 

4. Pour this batter in a vessel. Add the scrapped coconut (if using), curry leaves, coriander leaves and salt. 

5. Curry leaves and coriander leaves can be given a whip with the batter when it is about to be done i. e., after the tomatoes are fully grinded with the batter.

6. Allow it to stand for atleast an hour.

7. Heat a pan/ tava. Pour a ladleful of the batter over the pan and moveit in a circular motion to shape the dosa. Pour in some oil and cover with a lid. Covering is important as uncovered dosas would leave the upper portion dried.

8. Cook on medium high for about a minute or unless done. Flip the dosa and let it be uncovered this time. 

9. When crisp, remove from the pan and serve piping hot with pottukalla podi (Roasted gram dal chutney powder) and raw white onions.

TIPS

1. The tomatoes have to be ripe to bring in the tangy taste. Adjust the number of tomatoes as per taste.

2. Always give time for the batter to stand before it goes to the pan. Alternately, the batter can be prepared a day before and refrigerated overnight. 

3. Addition of coconut is for richness and is purely optional. I usually don't add them.

4. Add water only if necessary, this measurement would hardly gobble 1.25 to 1.75 cups of water. It depends on the water content of tomatoes too.