Dosa with aloo masala, tomato and coconut chutney

Name: Dosa with aloo masala, tomato and coconut chutney
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 240g (1¼ cups) basmati rice; 125g (¾ cup) urad dal (split black gram); 80g (½ cup) chana dal (split chickpeas); 20g (4 tsp) fenugreek seeds; 1 tsp salt; ghee, melted (for cooking the dosa); 3 tbsp oil; 1 tsp black mustard seeds; 1 tbsp urad dal; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 small red onion, diced; 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed; 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and sliced; 2 small green chillies; 12 curry leaves; 4 tomatoes, diced; 1½ tbsp tamarind paste; salt, to taste; 2 tbsp oil; 1 small red onion, diced; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 3 cloves garlic, finely grated; 8 curry leaves, sliced; 2 small green chillies, sliced; 14 cooked baby potatoes, lightly mashed; ½ tsp ground turmeric; salt, to taste; 1 cup fresh coconut; 2 tbsp chana dal; ½ tsp ajwain seeds

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Dosa with aloo masala, tomato and coconut chutney

Ingredients

DOSA

240g (1¼ cups) basmati rice
125g (¾ cup) urad dal (split black gram)
80g (½ cup) chana dal (split chickpeas)
20g (4 tsp) fenugreek seeds
1 tsp salt
ghee, melted (for cooking the dosa)

TOMATO CHUTNEY

3 tbsp oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tbsp urad dal
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 small red onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and sliced
2 small green chillies
12 curry leaves
4 tomatoes, diced
1½ tbsp tamarind paste
salt, to taste

ALOO MASALA (POTATO FILLING)

2 tbsp oil
1 small red onion, diced
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves garlic, finely grated
8 curry leaves, sliced
2 small green chillies, sliced
14 cooked baby potatoes, lightly mashed
½ tsp ground turmeric
salt, to taste

COCONUT CHUTNEY

1 cup fresh coconut
2 tbsp chana dal
½ tsp ajwain seeds
2 small shallots, sliced
thumbsize piece fresh ginger, grated
½ cup (125ml) coconut water (reserved from opening fresh coconut)
12 curry leaves
juice of ½ a lemon
2 small green chillies, stemmed
Salt, to taste
2 tsp neutral oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 dried red chilli, broken, seeds removed

GUNPOWDER

¼ cup (40g) chana dal (split chickpeas)
½ cup (80g) toor dal (Indian pigeon peas)
¼ cup (40g) urad dal (split black gram)
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp neutral oil
8-10 dried Kashmiri chillies (depending on heat preference)
4 garlic cloves
2 sprigs curry leaves
sea salt, to taste

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Directions

MAKE THE DOSA BATTER

In a large bowl, combine the rice, urad dal, chana dal, and fenugreek seeds. Rinse under cold water twice, then cover with water and let soak at room temperature for 4 hours.
Drain and place the soaked rice and lentils into a blender, adding half of the soaking water. Blend until mostly smooth, aiming for a slightly gritty, fine texture. I recommend blending in two batches to ensure it’s blended well. Transfer to a bowl, mix gently, then cover with a lid and a tea towel. Leave in a warm spot to ferment for 10 hours.

PREP THE TOMATO CHUTNEY

Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and urad dal, toasting for 1–2 minutes until aromatic. Add the diced onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies, curry leaves, and a pinch of salt. Stir well and cook until the onions soften slightly.
Stir in the tomatoes, tamarind paste, and about 200ml (¾ cup) of water. Cover and cook for 35–40 minutes, until the tomatoes, onions, and garlic break down fully. Now you can start your coconut chutney while you wait for it to cook.
After you’ve made your coconut chutney, go back to your tomato chutney (if you left it too long and it’s dry, just stir in a little bit of water). Allow to cool slightly, then blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning if needed, and keep at room temperature until serving.

PREP THE COCONUT CHUTNEY

To grate or shred fresh coconut, crack open the coconut, remove the outer hard shell and peel the white flesh from the brown husk, then cut into small pieces and blitz in a blender until shredded. Note - I use a pallet knife to remove the outer shell just in case it slips as it’s not sharp.
Toast your chana dal and ajwain in a dry pan over medium heat.
Combine coconut, chana, ajwain, shallots, ginger, chillies, coconut water, half the curry leaves, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a blender.
Process until well blended, scraping down sides occasionally.
Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Temper the mustard seeds, red chilli and remaining curry leaves in the oil for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
Transfer chutney to a serving bowl and pour over the tempered oil, then gently stir in, then serve.

MAKE THE ALOO MASALA (POTATO FILLING)

Put you potatoes on to boil. I recommend starting this step as early as possible so they’re cooked and cooled before you start the rest of this recipe.
Prep your ingredients. Then, in a pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil and add the diced onion, cumin seeds, garlic, curry leaves, sliced green chillies and a big pinch of salt. Saute for 4-5 minutes until the onions go translucent.
Add the cooked baby potatoes (you can mash them lightly before or in the pan), turmeric, and salt. Mix well and set aside to cool to room temperature.

MAKE THE GUNPOWDER

Heat a heavy based frying pan over medium low heat. Dry fry the channa dhal and toor dhal for 5 minutes, stirring, until starting to colour. Add urad, cook a further few minutes until well toasted.
Add sesame seeds and cook until starting to brown, then stir in the cumin seeds and cook for a further minute until fragrant. Set aside in a bowl to cool.
Heat oil in the same pan over medium. Cook chillies, garlic and curry leaves, until chillies start to colour and leaves crispen. Add some salt. Set aside to cool.
Transfer everything to a spice grinder and grind to a powder.

PREP AND COOK THE DOSA

Melt the clarified butter (ghee).
Once the dosa batter has fermented, stir in the salt and mix again. If the batter feels too thick, add a little water until it reaches the consistency of pouring cream.
Preheat a large cast-iron pan over high heat for 5–6 minutes. Splash a little water on the pan; it should sizzle immediately. Pour a ladleful of batter onto the pan and spread it in a circular motion to create a thin, even layer. I just use the ladle and go in circular motions to spread it out.
After 1–2 minutes, when the dosa begins to brown on the bottom, drizzle a small amount of ghee around the edges. Sprinkle the gunpowder around, place a portion of the aloo masala in the centre, then fold three edges over to form a triangle.
Carefully flip it over onto a plate and serve hot with the tomato chutney and coconut chutney. Enjoy!

Notes

TIPS

Make the batter the day before as it needs to ferment for at least 10 hours to build the flavour and right texture. You can also make the chutneys and gunpowder the day before so there's less to do on the day of the cook.

Q&A

What is gunpowder?

it's a spicy blend of dried toasted lentils, seeds and chilli which you sprinkle over your dosa before you fold it in.

What’s the best pan for cooking dosa?

A well-seasoned cast iron pan or a non-stick flat griddle works best. Just make sure it’s properly heated before you start.

Is this dish gluten-free?

Yes, the dosa, fillings, and chutneys are naturally gluten-free. Just double-check your ingredients (like tamarind paste) to be safe.

What can I use instead of baby potatoes?

Any waxy potato will work. Just avoid overly starchy ones like russets, which can turn too fluffy.