Ragi Dosa & Peanut Chutney

Ragi Dosa is a staple dinner back home and have been following it ever since marriage too... When my in-laws were with us last summer, I used to make this for them atleast twice or thrice a week, I dont use Oil for the Dosa and hence my father in law liked it very much. A couple os months back when I speaking to my Father in law and I, like always, asked him what was cookig for dinner he said your Ragi Dosa and smiled. My Mother in law admitted that she makes Dosa like how I make these days, it reminded me of my initial days of marriage when I was at my in-laws. One morning I was asked to make Dosa for my Father in law, I made the clumsiest dosa one could ever make it was so thick and my God how did I ever make such bad dosa I still wonder - the fact is one has to get used to the kitchen and the utensils otherwise they just dont heed to you.

Ragi Dosa was on top of my mind for long but then never bothered to post one so long and when I came across the "Basic Cooking Event" I thought why not Ragi Dosa. Okay now to the "ABC's of making crispy Ragi Dosa". Yeah you heard it right the "ABC's" ;)

Ingredients:

Ragi Flour - 2 1/2 cups
Urad Dhal - 1 cup (whole or broken / dehusked or with husk) *
Water
Salt to taste
* I use broken Urad Dhal with husk.

Method:

A. Making the Dosa Batter:
Wash and soak the Urad Dhal in Water for 5-6 hrs, I soak it overnight. The next morning wash off the husks they come off easily. A few might stay back, in a couple of changes of Water some more husks will run away. You can also hand pick the husks they will come off easily. To avoid all these burden you can use the dehusken Urad Dhal, but husked has more starch and the batter ferments really well. Not in a grinder or mixer paste the Urad Dhal with some Water, until soft and fluffy.



B. Fermenting the Dosa Batter:
Now remove the ground paste into a deep bowl. Adding Ragi flour directly to the Urad Dhal paste will cause lumps formation, to avoid it mix the Ragi Flour and Salt in Water and then pour it into the Dhal paste and give it a good stir until well blended. Then cover the bowl with a plate and let it ferment. Fermentation process is very easy in tropical climate, otherwise there are few tips for easy fermenting:
i. If you have auto pilot in your cooking range (usually old stoves have auto pilot) put the covered bowl in your cooking range it will ferment in about 10-12 hours.
ii. You can turn on your Oven for few mins or keep it on the lowest temp say 110 F and put the bowl in there for a few hours check in btw, dont forget your oven mitts.
The batter will double in size and you will have your fermented batter ready for Dosa making, transfer to a airtight, atleast I do it, container and put it in the refrigerator until used.



C. Making Dosa:
Remove the Dosa batter from the refrigerator 5-10 mins before making dosa, give it a good stir for a min. Place a non stick tava (clean the Tava with a few drops of Oil) or any tava that you are using, keep the flames on high, a drop of Water must sizzle off, ladle the batter on the tava reduce the flames and stir with the ladle until the batter is thin. Cover the tava with a lid and let it cook in the steam. When there is too much Water on the lid just remove the lid off and drain the water on a tissue, you may let a few drops fall on the dosa so they cook well. Replace the lid and cook until the Dosa slightly raises from the pan. Now Remove the Dosa from the Tava. Repeat this for making other Dosa, clean the Tava with a few drops of Oil before making more Dosas. You will make crispy Ragi Dosas.



Serve with: Chutney or Sambar

Peanut Chutney:

Ingredients:

Peanuts - 1 cup
Red Onion - 1 small or half of an large one
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Red Chillies - 3 nos.
Green Chilly - 1 nos.
Garlic - 1 large clove
Tamarind - a small marble size
Peanut Oil - 1 tbsp

Tempering:

Peanut Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - a few
Asafoetida a dash



Method:

1. Dry roast the Peanuts in a pan stirring all the time until aromatic. Allow it to cool and dehusk the Peanuts when cool.
2. Heat 1/2 tbsp of Peanut Oil in a pan and roast the Cumin Seeds, Red Chillies and Green Chilly. Remove and let it cool.
3. Now add the remaining 1/2 tbsp of Oil and fry the sliced Onion and Garlic until transparent. Set aside and let it cool.
4. Grind all the ingredients with some Water, Salt and Tamarind until fine.
5. Do the tempering and add it to the Chutney and adjust Salt if needed.

Serve with: Dosa or Idli

Am sending my

Ragi Dosa to Mahimaa's - Cooking Basic Event and Shama's - Family Favorite Event

Ragi Dosa and Peanut Chutney to Pari's - Combo Event