Vendhaya Dosai / Kal Dosai

Vendhayam (fenugreek) is a good source of nutrition. The seeds are slightly bitter (well, quite bitter), but when used in the right proportions, it imparts a nice flavor and aroma. Besides, fenugreek  makes soft, fluffy batters that cook well. I've written about Dosai before. It is an Indian savory crepe that comes in several variations. I prepare Dosais from old idli batter. It is how most people in my family prepare dosais. But, there are specific dosai batters too. Such dosai batters are also a ground mixture of urad dhal and rice, but the measurements are adjusted very slightly. And another wonderful thing about such batters  - they don't need to be fermented! The batter does need to rest for 8 hours, but it doesn't have to rise or ferment. My husband and I both love dosais and prefer them to idli any day. So, it's perfect to make a batch of batter in the night and look forward to crispy dosais in the morning. And my biggest relief is I don't have to worry about fermentation issues in this dry, frigid place.

I add fenugreek to my idli batter too. But if you don't, please do consider adding a small spoon of fenugreek seeds to this dosai batter. It gives a distinct aroma and flavor to the dosai. And it's good for you.

Here's how my in-laws prepared the crispy, tasty dosais.  

 

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups parboiled rice
2. 1/2 cup white raw rice
3. 3/4 cup whole, de-husked urad dhal / ulundu / black gram dhal
4. 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds / vendhayam
5. a few teaspoons sesame oil
6. 1.5 teaspoons salt (or as needed)

Preparation:

1.  Soak the parboiled rice and raw rice (together) for 4-8 hours. Let the water level come up to 3 inches above the rice
2. Soak the urad dhal and fenugreek for for 1-2 hours.
3. Grind the urad dhal in a wet-grinder or a powerful mixie/blender with about 1/2 cup of water until it is fluffy and soft. The consistency of the batter should not be too thick nor too runny. If you lift the batter with a spatula and point it down, the batter shouldn’t run or plop down immediately. It should be a sticky (not greasy, but gooey) lump that stays on the spatula and eventually crawls down.
4.  If using a wet-grinder, slowly add the soaked (and drained) rice to the ground urad dhal batter and continue grinding until the rice is ground well to a near-smooth consistency. Add about 2 cups of water to grind. Adjust the water depending on the type of rice you are grinding. If using a blender, remove the urad dhal batter and grind the rice in batches. 
5. Transfer the prepared batter in a bowl, add salt and mix well with your clean hand. When poured, the prepared batter should fall down in easy ribbons.
6. Set aside the batter for about 8 hours. It is highly unlikely that it would ferment in a cold, dry place (such as where I live). The batter didn't rise or ferment here. But in India, it might ferment easily. So, store the batter in an appropriate bowl to give room for it to ferment. 
7. After 8 hours, check the batter. If it has thickened, add some water to dilute it to the consistency of pancake batter. When poured, the batter should easily fall, creating just small ripples. Heat a cast-iron skillet or a non-stick skillet. Pour a ladle of batter onto the centre and gently spread it out in circular motions to form a thin circle/crepe. A stainless-steel ladle is ideal for this, as plastic may melt under the heat. 
8. Spoon a little bit of sesame oil around the edges of the crepe/dosai. This step is optional, of course. For the uber diet-conscious person, this may seem unnecessary, especially if using a non-stick skillet. But the sesame oil infuses a delicate flavor and aroma that comes to be associated with the intrinsic taste of dosai. 
9. Wait for about 2-3 minutes for the dosai to crisp/cook on one side. Then carefully flip the dosai onto the other side using a flat, broad spatula.You may again spoon some sesame oil around the edges (and some over the dosai). Wait for about 2 minutes. Flip the dosai. If you are satisfied that the dosai is cooked (the batter isn’t raw in patches, and the dosai has lots of little bubbles of escaped steam/air), transfer it onto a plate.

Serve with any spicy side-dish!