Pesto Dosai

Original source of recipe

Since it is not my original recipe and the above link already has a comprehensive description of the recipe, I do not want to repeate the ingredients and directions again.

Ever since I visited rocketbites, I was hooked on to the pesto dosai. So decided to make it on Valetine’s Day. Not that hubby and myself usually celebrate V’s day or have any particular attachment to that …… holiday(?)…festival(?)…celebration(?)…heck lets just call it a day. But considering my options(I had only dosa batter in my fridge, I had absolutely no inclination to grocery shop/slave in front of the stove, kids were cranky having skipped lunch and nap, so going out was ruled out), I decided that V’s day was good as any :) Ain’t I romantic?!

Anyways, I made slight variations. For some reason, when I read the original recipe, I imagined adding a slice of cheese. So I added cheese and doubled the quantity of spinach and mushroom. It was a super stuffed dosai and thanks to the cheese the stuffing didn’t fall out. I also added ½ tsp of fresh ground pepper and ½ tsp of red pepper flakes to the filling.

I had to mention this. Hubby had the dosai with idli milagai podi, which I took as a personal insult. For the record, the dosais were JUST RIGHT as is. And, yes, even if I didn’t come up with the recipe, I can still take offense. Standing in front for the stove for a whole 30 minutes gives me that right.

Spinach Kuzhipaniyaram

Noon, this is for you. Sorry I took so long.

Ingredients

For the batter

Credit for this recipe goes to Mrs.Revathy Shanmugam. I do make small alterations. I skip the coconut and add 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp asafoetida and 1 tsp channa daal to the seasoning.

Regular sona masoori or ponni rice – 2 cups
Idli rice – 2 cups
Whole urad daal – 1 cup
Sabudhana – ½ cup
Methi seeds – 1 tbsp
Salt – 2 tsp

For the flavoring
I picked up the idea to add spinach from Mrs.Mallika Badrinath.
Spinach – one bunch
Onion – 2,
Green chillis – 4
Curry leaves – 10 fresh leaves
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Urad Daal – 1 tsp

Directions

Wash and soak rice, urad daal, methi seeds in the same container for two hours.
Grind well using grinder. Sometimes I also use the Indian mixie. Come out pretty good.

At this point, add sabudhana that has been soaked for just 10 minutes to the rice and daal batter. Grind well.

Add salt to the batter and mix well.

Make sure that the batter is slightly thicker than the idli batter, because later you will be adding spinach and you don’t want the batter to be too watery.

Let it ferment over night.

At this point the better can either be used immediately or left in the fridge for later use.

Just before you are ready to make the kuzhi paniyaram, pressure cook spinach with out adding any water. Let the cooked spinach cool and blend it to a smooth puree.

Heat 1 tsp oil and add mustard. Onc eth mustard starts cracking, ass urad daal, channa daal, asafoetida, green chillies, grated ginger, curry leaves and onion.

Add just a pinch of salt for the onions to coo. Do not over cook the onions. You must be able to feel the cruch when you bite in to the paniyaram.

Let the seasoning cool.

Add the seasoning and the spinach to the batter. Mix well.

Heat the kuzhipaniyara chatti. I have a non stick one, so I just spray some oil.

Drop about one table spoon of the spinach batter in to each compartment in the chatti.

When half cooked, (you must be still able to see the uncooked batter on the top), turn the paniyarams over. The idea is that, when you turn the half cooked paniyaram, the batter oozes in to the compartment, forming a ball and both the sides are cooked.

Scoop the paniyarams out and serve hot.

Can be served with chutney or idli milagai podi or sambar or as is.