All of the optional condiments for serving are available at most Indian grocery stores.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 12
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the rava/sooji, rice flour, maida, cumin seeds, ajwain, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and the water in a large stockpot and mix well until it forms a thin batter. Cover the pot and leave it outside in a warm place for 2 hours to ferment.
Step 2
While the batter is fermenting, boil the potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover them until they are soft. Using a fork, crush them lightly, but don’t mash or purée them; leave some cubed chunks.
Step 3
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the potato chunks, the turmeric, curry leaves, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Taste and readjust seasonings with more salt, if needed, and turn down the heat to low.
Step 4
Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil in a large nonstick pan or griddle over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Using a ladle, transfer a small circle of batter to the middle of the pan. Use the bottom of the ladle to gently spread the batter into a larger circle, swirling it in a clockwise circle. Add a second ladleful of batter around the first circle and spread the batter once more so that you have a crepelike round the size of the pan. After 3 minutes, the crepe should become crispy and ightly golden in color on the bottom. At this point, scrape off the top, uncooked layer of the batter with a spatula, leaving only the crispy part on the pan. (You can transfer the uncooked layer to the bowl of batter.) Working quickly, so that the dosa oesn’t overcook, add a pile of the crispy potatoes just to one side of the center of the dosa, and top with a sprinkle of the cilantro, a bit of carrot, and a bit of red bell pepper. Use a long spatula, or two spatulas, one on each side, to fold the dosa in a half-moon shape and transfer it to a plate. Repeat the same process with the remaining batter and fillings, adding more oil to the pan before cooking each dosa. Serve with the chutneys and sambar.
