Crispy Masala Dosa with Cilantro Coconut Chutney is a delicious vegetarian Indian recipe with crispy dosa wraps stuffed with potato Aloo Marsala served with a delicious vibrant green chutney.
What do you do to reduce stress?
When life has me feeling a little bit overwhelmed, I exercise, I close my eyes and pretend I am in a happier place, I take some deep breaths, I drink some soothing herbal tea, I listen to some relaxing music or sometimes I tell myself I need to take an attitude break and get on with life.
The Kitchen is our Happy Place
All of these things work very nicely to reduce stress, but I have a little secret. My all time favorite way to blow off some steam and put life back into perspective is to have fun in the Kitchen. Healthy World Cuisine kitchen is my little resort away from everything. This kitchen is a place where I can be creative and have fun and experiment and forget about all life's little worries. Having friends share their family recipes is even a more interesting when you can do this together.
My dear friend, Anu, and I had a great day of stress reduction in the Kitchen making Crispy Masala Dosa. We laughed together and laughed even harder when something did not turn out as expected in the kitchen. We were creative. We were food photography stylists. We were team players and most of all very good friends enjoying the time making delicious food together.
So you may ask, why were Anu and I stressed to begin with...
My dear friend, Anu, and I just completed a course in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Acupuncture Certification. In addition to memorizing a tremendous amount of theory we also had to practice our clinical skills. You build a whole new kind of trust in someone when you allow them to put a needles in you, just for practice. Anu was my study buddy and pin cushion this year.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Then there was the final exam....!!! Do you know why we sometimes write "Etc" on our essay exams? It means... E (End Of) T (Thinking) C (Capacity)... I think my brain matter was leaking out of my ear by the end of the exam.
I know that many of you know that I am a western medically trained professional but I wanted to bridge the gap between Asian and Western Medicine and have a better understanding of where East really does meet West.
Switching from learning Western Medicine to Eastern Medicine requires a complete brain transplant as absolutely everything that I was learning in TCM was different from what I had learned in Western Medicine. It took me some time to get over the culture shock and to assimilate. However, soon thereafter, I was warning my family members not to eat or drink excessive hot or cold foods as not to get their ying or yang out of balance. I started running around and checking my kids pulses and looking at their tongues for assessment. My kids started to come to me with small ailments such as sore throat and common cold and I would treat them with acupuncture instead of tylenol. On the other end of the spectrum, Mr. Anonymous would go running in the other direction any time I took out my acupuncture needles from my bag.
I started noticing things in life from a very different perspective. I started to look at life, health and wellness from both a Western and Asian perspective at all times. At first, I though this would never be possible to do. However, now I feel like a stronger clinician understanding both sides to the equation.
Anu is a very sweet gentle friend from India and is a fantastic little cook and foodie. Anu and I celebrated the freedom from acupuncture exams and needles with a little stress reduction and fun in the Kitchen making Crispy Masala Dosas, Aloo Masala, Cilantro and Coconut Chutney and Sambhar. Please follow Anu and I along to learn how to make these delicious Indian dishes...
What is a Crispy Masala Dosa?
Dosa are one of the most delightful things I have ever tried. A Dosa is a fermented crepe or pancake made from rice batter and black lentils. It is indigenous to and is a staple dish in the southern India. They are traditionally served as part of the breakfast meal. They are light, crispy and delicious huge flat disks that are usually filled with a little savory Aloo Masala (potatoes and spices) and dipped in lovely chutneys. Dosa's are gluten-free, vegan friendly and our version is very low-fat. (Accidentally healthy- you have to love that)
I saved some of the Crispy Masala Dosa batter and made them for a snack for my teenage boys and they devoured them in nano seconds. (A Masala Dosa has all of the teenage basic food groups; potatoes, spices and a tortilla looking thing to wrap it all up in)
Enclosed are recipe for the plain dosa, Aloo Masala, Cilantro and Coconut Chutney. You will need to complete the fermentation of the Dosa a day or two before you plan to prepare them.
Crispy Masala Dosa
Recipe from Anu and some help from the sweet little man at the Indian Provisions store in Wanchai
Makes about 15 or so dosa's depending on the size of your pan
- 3 cups rice (chawal)
- 1 cup Split black garam lentil (urad ki dhuli dal)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- water for soaking
- Oil as required
- heavy-duty blender or grinder
Step 1: Wash the rice, dal and fenugreek seed and soak in a tupperware with just enough water to cover for at least 6 hours
Step 2: Grind the rice ,split black garam lentil, and fengreek seeds until a fine thin batter by adding just a little water (Hint it is better to be thicker as you can always add more water later to get it to the consistency you need) I used my heavy-duty Blender/smoothie maker that also works to crush ice or if you have a spice grinder that would work as well.
Step 3: Add salt to mixture and leave it covered for at least 12 hours of fermentation. (I put mine in the refrigerator overnight to ferment)
Step 4: Make your Aloo Masala, Cilantro and Coconut Chutney and Sambhar before you start to cook your dosas. (Recipe follows below)
Step 5: When you are ready to eat, add water to the dosa batter so that it just covers the back of the spoon. (Getting the consistency correct is imperative to making a good dosa)
Step 6: Pre-heat a large non stick pan and place a tiny bit of oil on the bottom and spread around with a half of an onion pierced with a fork. (This little trick that Anu taught me works really great)
Step 7: Use a ladle and pour slowly in a circular motion the dosa batter in the pan. Use the back of the ladle to thin the dosa. (We were trying to cut down on fat but if you want a really crispy dosa then take little extra oil and drizzle on top of dosa- we omitted this step)
Step 8: When you see the dosa batter start to get gently golden on the bottom flip over and continue to cook until golden brown and crispy.
Step 9: Continue this process for making the rest of the dosas. I would suggest you clean the pan between each one you make for best results.
Step 10: Serve hot Crispy Masala Dosa with Aloo Masala, hot sambhar and cool and delightful cilantro and coconut chutney.
Aloo Masala for Dosa
Recipe adapted from Majula's Kitchen
- 4 large potatoes
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1 green chili chopped finely or to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
Step 1 Boil the potatoes until they are soft and set aside to cool.
Step 2: Peel and chop potatoes into small pieces. (To prevent oxidation, I sprinkled a little lemon juice on potatoes)
Step 3: Heat the oil into the pan and check temperature with chopsticks. Put the seeds in the oil and they should crack and pop. Once you smell the yummy fragrance from the spices coming to your nose add the potatoes, green chili and salt.
Step 4: Fry the potato mixture for a few minutes and then add lemon juice and cilantro. (You could at this point add shredded carrots, peas or any other vegetable your little heart desires)
Step 5: The potatoes should be slightly moist.
Step 6: Serve Aloo Marsala hot inside the wrapped dosas.
Cilantro and Coconut Chutney
Recipe adapted from the cookingchanneltv.com recipes by Bal Arneson
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
- 2 cups fresh chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- ⅓ cup fresh coconut
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon sugar (or sugar alternative such as agave..etc)
- salt to taste
- 1 small green chili or to taste
- 1 clove garlic
- juice of lime
Step 1: Saunter out to your Indian provision store and to the wet markets to get your spices and ingredients. Tell the strong confident man at the wet market what "great strong muscles he has" and kindly as him to please break open your coconut. (If all else fails, you can buy the pre-shredded kind in the supermarket)
Step 2: Put all your items into the blender and whizz until very smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Serve yummy Cilantro and coconut chutney with dosas. (This chutney is fantastic and it has so many other possible uses, like as a topping on grilled fish or as a dip for fresh vegetables or maybe as a body scrub. It is so yummy you may want to double your recipe)
Sambhar
My dear friend Anu brought to my home some delicious Sambhar, so I did not get a chance to make any yet.
Have a happy and stress free week! We hope you enjoy these delicious Crispy Masala Dosa as much as we did.
Namaste
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Crispy Masala Dosa with Cilantro Coconut Chutney
Ingredients
Dosa
- 3 cup rice
(chawal) - 1 cup Split black garam lentil
(urad ki dhuli dal) - 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- water for soaking
- oil for frying
Aloo Masala
- 4 large potatoes
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
whole - 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
whole - 1 teaspoon turmeric
ground - 1 chili green
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon cilantro
for garnish
Cilantro Coconut Chutney
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds ground
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds ground
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds ground
- ½ teaspoon cardamom seeds ground
- 2 cups cilantro chopped
- ½ cup fresh coconut milk
- ⅓ cup fresh coconut
- ½ teaspoon ginger
freshly grated - 1 teaspoon sugar
or sugar alternative - salt to taste
- 1 green chili chopped or to taste
- 1 clove garlic
chopped - 2 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
Dosa
- Wash the rice, dal and fenugreek seed and soak in a tupperware with just enough water to cover for at least 6 hours
- Grind the rice ,split black garam lentil, and fengreek seeds until a fine thin batter by adding just a little water (Hint it is better to be thicker as you can always add more water later to get it to the consistency you need) I used my heavy-duty Blender/smoothie maker that also works to crush ice or if you have a spice grinder that would work as well.
- Add salt to mixture and leave it covered for at least 12 hours of fermentation. (I put mine in the refrigerator overnight to ferment)
- Make your Aloo Masala, Cilantro and Coconut Chutney and Sambhar before you start to cook your dosas. (Recipe follows below)
- When you are ready to eat, add water to the dosa batter so that it just covers the back of the spoon. (Getting the consistency correct is imperative to making a good dosa)
- Pre-heat a large non stick pan and place a tiny bit of oil on the bottom and spread around with a half of an onion pierced with a fork. (This little trick that Anu taught me works really great)
- Use a ladle and pour slowly in a circular motion the dosa batter in the pan. Use the back of the ladle to thin the dosa. (We were trying to cut down on fat but if you want a really crispy dosa then take little extra oil and drizzle on top of dosa- we omitted this step)
- When you see the dosa batter start to get gently golden on the bottom flip over and continue to cook until golden brown and crispy.
- Continue this process for making the rest of the dosas. I would suggest you clean the pan between each one you make for best results.
- Serve hot crispy light dosas with Aloo Masala, hot sambhar and cool and delightful cilantro and coconut chutney.
Aloo Masala
- Boil the potatoes until they are soft and set aside to cool.
- Peel and chop potatoes into small pieces. (To prevent oxidation, I sprinkled a little lemon juice on potatoes)
- Heat the oil into the pan and check temperature with chopsticks. Put the seeds in the oil and they should crack and pop. Once you smell the yummy fragrance from the spices coming to your nose add the potatoes, green chili and salt.
- Fry the potato mixture for a few minutes and then add lemon juice and cilantro. (You could at this point add shredded carrots, peas or any other vegetable your little heart desires)
- The potatoes should be slightly moist.
- Serve Aloo Marsala hot inside the wrapped dosas.
Cilantro Coconut Chutney
- Saunter out to your Indian provision store and to the wet markets to get your spices and ingredients. Tell the strong confident man at the wet market what "great strong muscles he has" and kindly as him to please break open your coconut. (If all else fails, you can buy the pre-shredded kind in the supermarket)
- Put all your items into the blender and whizz until very smooth and creamy.
- Serve yummy Cilantro and coconut chutney with dosas. (This chutney is fantastic and it has so many other possible uses, like as a topping on grilled fish or as a dip for fresh vegetables or maybe as a body scrub. It is so yummy you may want to double your recipe)
Asmita (@FoodieAsmita) says
Dosas are my favorite and especially with masala aaloo. I can eat this kind of food everyday! In fact my daughter and I go to an Indian restaurant every week, to eat dosas, idlis, medu wadas.
You have really inspired me to cook this in my own kitchen . It's been so long since I made this at home.
The presentation too is so lovely! Thanks Bam.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Asmita. I will pass this lovely comment on to Anu.
Anu and I had been talking about having a cooking day together to make some Indian dishes together and she smiled and said of course lets pick a day. Then when I told her I wanted to make dosas she looked like a deer caught with the headlights on. I think that she felt the same way as you do. She has watched it prepared many times by her family and has eaten it many time but never has done it in her own home. I think all of those times she watched her mom make it must have been in her memory forever as she was a pro. Take Care, BAM
Promenade Claire says
Another fan of masala dosas here! I came across them when I went to India, and was hooked, so many great varieties to try. But my all time favourite is the one you have made here - with Aloo and the corriander-coconut chutney. My partner learnt to cook them in India (one of his many talents) and he taught me. I just love them anytime of day !!
And how fascinating for you to learn about accupuncture and Asian medcine - a real learning curve!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Claire, I am so glad I found another dosa lover. For me it is the whole texture thing. The crispy dosa with the smooth potatoes and the clean fresh chutneys. It has it all going on. I guess we all need to take some more lessons from Anu and from your partner and try more delicious healthy recipes.
PS: Keep taking more pictures of that beautiful blue sky you view every day and posting it. I love it- totally tranquil.
Take Care,
BAM
kitchenriffs says
I love dosas! One of my favorite things to order when I'm in a restaurant that specializes in southern Indian cooking. Never made my own, though - something I have to change. And congrats on the TCM Acupuncture Certification! I've never had acupuncture, but know some people who have. Although their experiences seem to be that not every acupuncturist was equally effective in helping them, when they found one who was "right" they were helped tremendously. Anyway, it somehow escaped me that you were trained in Western medicine - how cool to add Eastern to your knowledge! There are advantages to both.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you! You are right, not all cases can be fixed with just Western Medicine or Eastern Medicine alone. Sometime a combination of both is required to achieve positive therapeutic effect. In addition, you have to find the right clinician to suite your needs.
I hope you have a great week and I am on my way to your website. Take care, BAM
Tandy says
Having grown up in a house where both Eastern and Western healing methods were embraced I know your children are very fortunate 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Best of both worlds I think. Have a super week Tandy! Take care, BAM
[email protected] Chef in disguise says
Hats of to you Bam for taking on a new direction in your career. Studying with too teenage kids is not an easy task I am sure but you should be really proud of yourself.
I love to bake when I am stressed, some how shutting everything out and just enjoying the process. I love the idea of the dosa and all the wonderful array of foods you served with it, I think I will give the potatoes a try first 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Actually I think studying so intensely along with my 2 teenagers left a good impression. All 3 of us would study for exams, we all would forage through the kitchen when we had the exam munchies and then quiz each other on each others data. Family study bonding.
I think your kids will really enjoy this and potatoes is one of the kid food groups. Take care, BAM
[email protected] Chef in disguise says
Family study bonding 🙂 love the idea.
I did my masters when my daughter was 2 and I couldn't do study bonding , maybe when they are older and I decide to go back to studying it would be a different experience
Hannah (BitterSweet) says
I am absolutely terrible at making crepes, so I'm also intimidated by dosa. These look incredible though... A tempting reminder that I should just take the plunge and give them a shot. Please tell me that the batter is easier to work with than that of my French nemesis!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Actually I think dosa making is much more difficult than making french crepes. I don't want to put you off by this but it did take me several tries to get the hang of it.
Charles says
Oh my God... where do I look first. That chutney looks absolutely incredible and the aloo marsala and dosa as well... I'd love it all, I know it. I really want to make it... hmm, I'll have to schedule this for next week I think because it's making me seriously want it right now 😀 Thanks Bam!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Charles. Just like your delicious Beef sandwich (18 hour wait time) you made you will need to buffer in a couple of day of prep for the dosa mix so that it can ferment. I have to tell you that Cilantro and coconut chutney is really super good. So many potential uses for this. Have a super weekend and have a great picnic! Take Care, BAM
[email protected] at Marina says
Congratulations on getting your certificate, well done! I am very happy for you. :)No wander you were stressed before the exam: there is a lot to remember and understand when it comes to medicine... Lovely dosa, I am sure it tasted great! 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Marina. You should see the size of our books? I sure wish they would get on board with e-books as hauling this 20 pound wonder is getting old. Have a super weekend. BAM
kathleen1richardson says
BAM, I've learned so much from every one of your blog posts. I especially liked this one with the sharing of learning and skills between you and Anu. Delicious looking food, as always!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Kathleen. How is your trip? Have a fantastic time and I love getting to read all about it on your website. Take care, BAM
Bernice says
This looks wonderful!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Bernice. I am really delighted the dosa's turned out so great on our first attempt. Actually I was kind of hesitant about this whole process and went out and bought some back up pre-mixed dosa just in case. We never needed it and so glad to have the opportunity to make the fresh homemade version instead. Take care, BAM
Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen says
I am so impressed Bam.. you're a doctor, you're an amazing cook and now you've completed an Accupuncture specialization?! There is no end to your talents! This is a yummy looking dish.. I just have a quick (amateur) question: do I grind the spices for the marasala before adding to the frying pan? or do they "pop" enough to break apart while cooking? You made me laugh when you described why teenagers love these.. yup, "tortilla looking things" to wrap food in are perfect.. then they don't have dishes to wash and they can run out the door while eating:D xx
Healthy World Cuisine says
Look who is talking Miss Poet, Cello player, mom and the hostess with the mostess! I am a Clinical Nurse Educator with background in Cardiology, ECMO, clinical management, medical writing and CPOE. However, my real passion is cooking!
Actually you do not want to grind the spices for the Aloo Marsala but leave them whole while cooking. The spices will pop and crackle and let off their great aroma and tenderize during the cooking process. However for the Cilantro and Coconut chutney you will want to use ground spices to keep the texture smooth.
A great breakfast for kids as they are running out the door to their extracurricular activities. No plate required!
Have a super weekend. BAM
susartandfood says
Bam, yum over and over again. Looks so good.
Healthy World Cuisine says
You are so sweet. I will make sure to get this lovely comment on to my dear friend, Anu. Take Care, BAM
gardenfreshtomatoes says
Congrats on finishing up your coursework...you guys earned your Kitchen Spa Day, for sure!
I wish more health professionals in this country could see the benefits of complimentary treatment, rather than taking an adversarial stance on the issue. Keep an open mind, and keep learning, right?
Healthy World Cuisine says
Kitchen Spa Days do wonders to reduce the stress. (Today I have already made breakfasts x 2, watermelon-lemon fruit icy pops, grilled chicken and veggies with pesto sauce, caesar salad, xiao long bao and stirfried baby cabbage with asian dipping sauce, a cheese cake for a friend, confetti cake with buttercream frosting from teenager #2, ribs with a dry rub are marinating in the refrigerator and preparing some Thai fish cakes. And it is only just 2pm) Lots of Cooking therapy going on here in Healthy World Cuisine today!
I agree! Ongoing education is always needed as the world is always changing.
Take Care, BAM
Healthy World Cuisine says
Stop on by and I will throw some on the griddle. Take Care, BAM
Sharon | ChineseSoupPot.com says
Congratulations on the exam! I think any stress I have could be greatly relieved if I can indulge in the yummy foods that you and Anu cooked up in the BAM kitchen for this post!! Yum! =)
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Sharon. I just came back from the HK Better Home EXPO and I can't wait to try to make my own hot Chinese Almond, rice, sesame seed and soy milk. I am sure you probably have this recipe somewhere on your website will have to check it out.