How to make Indian breakfast fare like 'masala dosai'

By Syamala Monie

JAKARTA (JP): A letter to the editor dated Feb. 10, 1995, under the heading Indian Food, lamented the closure of the famous King's restaurant on Jl. Veteran I in Central Jakarta. According to the writer, they made the best Masala Dosai in the world; a great compliment for King's.

These recipes are for anyone seeking some adventure and Indian flavors. The other alternative is to drive down to Purwakarta, and be our honored guests.

Dosais and idlis are regular breakfast items in the Indian household. Made of rice and urad dal, the basic recipe will enable you to create a wide variety of dishes. Rich in protein, the fermentation enables easy digestion of vitamin B compounds in the food.

Dosais, like pancakes, are made on a flat girdle. A non-stick pan provides a good substitute and, with a little practice, you can make paper thin dosa to eat with chutney.

Dosai basic recipe

2.5 cups rice flour (non-glutinous) 1/2 cup urad dal (split de-skinned white dal) Salt to taste Oil for cooking

Wash and soak the dal for 4 to 6 hours. Grind in a mixer adding enough water to allow it to swirl freely around the blades. Mix rice flour with 1 cup of water and salt. Mix in the ground dal thoroughly and keep aside for about 8 to 10 hours to ferment. If you want to make it for breakfast you can grind the previous evening.

Heat the girdle, smear on a little oil. Pour on one big ladle full of the dough and spread it evenly with the back of the ladle as thin as possible. Pour 1 tsp of oil around it and cook on medium heat for about 1 minute. Flip and cook the other side. Serve with the chutney.

Masala dosa -- Dosai stuffed with potato curry

Potato curry

1/2 kg potatoes 4 large onions cut into long strips 6 finely chopped green chilies 1 piece of finely chopped ginger 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tblsp oil 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1 tblsp lemon juice A few curry leaves Salt to taste

Boil potatoes, peel and break into small pieces. Heat oil, add mustard. When it splutters put in onions, green chilies and ginger. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add potatoes, salt and turmeric powder and 1/2 cup water. Mix thoroughly. Cook on low flame till the water dries up. Tear curry leaves and put in. Finally mix in the lemon juice.

Make dosa with the basic dough. Before taking it off the griddle spread 2 tblsp of potato curry on one half of the dosa. Fold the other half over and serve with chutney.

Oothappam -- Basic dough for Dosai

6 big, finely chopped onions 4 tomatoes cut into small pieces 4 finely chopped green chilies 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl. Smear a little oil on a non-stick pan and spread the dough to the size of a saucer, a 1/4 inch thick. Now sprinkle 2 tblsp of the mixed vegetables, evenly over the dough and pour 1 tblsp oil over it. Cook on medium heat for 1 minute. Turn over and cook the other side till crispy brown.

Pesarathu

1/2 cup rice 1 cup green gram (Kachang Hijau) 6 green chilies 1 inch piece of ginger 8 small red onions Salt to taste Oil for frying

Wash and soak rice and gram together for 6-8 hours. Grind coarsely, adding all the ingredients. Heat a non-stick pan; pour a ladle full and spread to make a thin dosa. Make a hole in the center with the handle of a spoon. Pour 1/2 tsp oil into it and a little oil around the edge of dosa. When one side is cooked, flip and cook other side. Best eaten with butter and brown sugar (gula merah).

Rice and coconut dosa

2 cups rice flour (non-glutinous) 1/2 cup grated coconut 4 chopped green chilies 1/2 cup chopped small onions (bawang merah) 2 tblsp chopped coriander leaves Salt to taste Oil for cooking

Mix all the ingredients except oil to make a pliable dough, adding water. Heat and grease a non-stick pan. Take a portion of the dough, the size of a small orange, and keep it in the center of the pan. Keep wetting your fingers in a bowl of water and pat dough to make a 1/4 inch thick dosa. Make a hole in the middle and pour in 1/2 tsp oil. Pour a spoonful of oil over the dosa. Cook on medium heat; when one side is done, flip and cook the other side. Serve hot.

These two chutneys are served with dosa:

Coconut chutney

1 cup grated fresh coconut 8 green chilies 6 small onions (bawang merah) 2 garlic cloves (bawang putih) 1 tblsp lime juice 2 tblsp coriander leaves 1 tblsp oil 1 tsp mustard A few curry leaves Salt to taste

Grind all the ingredients adding enough water to make a fine paste. Heat oil, add mustard. When it splutters add curry leaves torn into pieces. Take off heat and pour over the dosa.

Tomato chutney

2 tblsp urad dal (de-skinned white gram) -- 2 tblsp 4 tomatoes cut into pieces 6 dried red chilies 1 tblsp oil 1 1/2 cup sugar Tamarind -- the size of a marble Salt to taste

Heat oil, fry the dal and red chilies till golden brown. Add the tomato pieces, cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Extract the juice of tamarind adding 1/4 cup water. After the mixture cools down grind all the ingredients with salt and sugar.

So set your table with a spread of dosa and chutney!

Happy cooking and great eating.