Healthy Dosa and Chutney for All

Dosa is a great south Indian snack, breakfast or meal that can be eaten with different types with various fillings. Dosa is usually prepared with urad dal and rice then cooks up to a golden white crepe. But a healthy dosa should have a couple of lentils and beans. Dosa full of lentils/beans holds different proteins and nutrition that makes much more than just fillings. Taste it and have a healthy snack.

Ingredients – Dosa

• Medium/long grain rice (basmati can be used) – 1 cup (185 gm)
• Brown rice – 1/4 cup (47.5 gm)
• Whole urad dal (black gram) – 1/2 cup (100 gm)
• Methi seeds (fenugreek seeds) – 1/2 teaspoon
• Toor daal (Pigeon pea) or chana daal (Bengal gram/ chick pea lentils) – 2 Tablespoons
• Rice flakes (optional) – 1/4 cup (59.15 gm)
• Salt – As needed

Steps to follow:

Preparing Dosa Batter

1. Rinse the rice and soak it in a large bowl overnight.
2. Rinse the Whole urad dal (black gram) and other dals. Then soak it along with fenugreek seeds overnight.
3. Drain out the soaking liquid from daal/lentils and keep it for further use.
4. Grind the dal, fenugreek seeds and salt all together using the soaking liquid preserved earlier to make it a smooth paste.
5. Let this batter kept for another 6-8 hours in a warm place covered with a tight lid. You can leave it overnight.

The next day you can see the batter almost double in volume. The batter is now ready to make dosa.

Making Dosa:

1. Heat a pan and sprinkle a few drops of water on it. If the water drops evaporate within 2 seconds, then the pan is hot enough and ready.
2. Spread the oil throughout the pan.
3. Pour the batter on to the hot pan with oil and spread out the batter in a circular shape.
4. If needed, you can spread a few drops of oil or ghee onto batter spread.
5. Cook in a medium flame till the bottom side becomes light brown.
6. For more crispy dosa, you can flip the other side and cook for another few minutes.

Dosa is ready to serve.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:

• Grated coconut – 3/4 cup or as needed
• Ginger – 1/8 inch
• Green Chilies – 1
• Salt – As needed
• Coriander leaves – 1/4 cup
• Oil – 1 1/2 teaspoon
• Red chilly (broken) – 1
• Curry leaves – As needed
• Mustard – 1/2 teaspoon
• Lemon juice- half a teaspoon
• Water – As needed

How to make:

1. Add coconut, ginger, coriander leaves, green chilies, water, and salt to a blender and make a paste of it.
2. Heat a pan and add oil to it.
3. When the oil gets hot, add the mustard, curry leaves, and red chilly to it.
4. Soon when they crackle, add the coconut paste into it.
5. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the stove and add lemon juice, mix well.

Chutney is ready. Now you can serve hot coconut chutney with dosa.

Tips to remember:

1. Choose the lentils and rice for dosa batter according to your body type and/ or imbalance. Any combination works!
2. Choose the spices and quantities according to your body type and/ or imbalance.
3. You may save the dosa batter in the refrigerator and always make dosa fresh.
4. Chutney can be used warm or cold as per your preference.
5. Combine with Sambar or Sabji to make the perfect healthy meal and have the portion of vegetables as well.