Dosai

Most of the dosas I’ve made, all from Chandra Padmanabhan’s Dosai. I mixed up a quarter batch for each, and learned some good shortcuts for how to figure out those measurements. (1/4th of a quarter cup is one tablespoon, so I thought of the tablespoon scoop as my mini quarter cup scoop.) I made one or several dosas of each, photographed it, and tested it out. Sometimes they were too sour for me, or just not quite my thing. Occasionally it was so delicious that it was all gone before I realized what had happened. The numbers correspond to the page number in the book.

Favorites:
Surnoli (72) was delicious! Sweet and so lovely. The Navané-Samé Dosai (35) was made with millet. It was easy to cook and had a nice texture and pleasant taste. The Set Dosai (70) came together beautifully and were very easy to eat in terms of texture, taste, and structure. The Appam Dosai (47) tasted great with the featured coconut, but I want to them with the right kind of pan next time. Vendayakeerai Dosai (21): I guess the combination of fenugreek and fresh coconut really does it for me.

The Uppu Huli Dosai (p. 42) had an amazing flavor and texture. The different elements in this one were the fresh coconut, coriander, jaggery, and tamarind. The Bobbara Dosai (p. 91) was made from primarily black-eyed peas, and had a very ready texture and pleasant flavor. The Appam (48) had amazing, long rise involving yeast, rice, and coconut. But in the end it wasn’t nearly as lovely to eat as the Uppu Huli Dosai, which I ate alongside a delicious fruit curry.

The highlights for me were 5 and 10 (great textures, classics for a reason), 7 (I can’t wait to get some curried mashed potatoes and coconut chutney in the next set), 44 and 88 (so tasty!), and 82 (coconut and fenugreek leaves have a perfect meeting point in this setting). 43 was a lovely surprise too – I’ve never had such spicy oats before. In general I noticed how nicely the ones that have been fermenting for a while cook. 5, 7, and 10 all benefited from a longer than prescribed fermentation, and the look and the taste of them was beyond my expectations.

The combination of fenugreek and fresh coconut in the Vendayakeerai Dosai (top right, p. 21) one is really special. It used hulled and split mung beans, rather than urad dal.