"Hara-Bhara" dosa aka "Daal Ke chille with veg-paneer stuffing"

Like most working moms, "what can I make for tonight's dinner?", is probably a ubiquitously common question! And if you are a "foodie" like me, you need variety in the daily menu. Today's recipe is all that and more- it is packed with nutrition, lower in carbs and high in protein and it is good-looking too! After all, you eat with your eyes before you taste the dish!😊

This no-fermentation dosa does not need any fancy ingredients and can be fixed swiftly for a weeknight dinner or a weekend brunch. 

Ingredients 

For the Dosa batter

2.5 cups green split moong daal

1/4 cup rice 

1 green chilly 

1/4 inch ginger piece

1/4 cup cilantro

2 cloves garlic

1 cup fresh spinach washed 

Salt to taste

Water 

Canola oil for cooking 

Stuffing

Grated paneer 100gm

Finely chopped/grated cabbage- 1 cup

2 small grated carrots

2 finely chopped spring onions

Ginger, green chilies crushed- 1 tbsp

Chaat masala - 2 tsp

Ground cumin powder- 1 tsp

Garam masala powder- 1 tsp

Aamchur powder- 1tsp

Cumin- 1 tsp

Canola oil 2 tsp to cook

Half an onion to cook dosas 

Salt to taste

Method

Batter

Soak the moong daal-rice mixture in water for a couple of hours after washing. Place all the ingredients in the blender and add water for a pouring dosa (crepes) batter consistency. It is better to keep it slightly thicker and add water as needed rather than make it too watery. 

Stuffing

In a sauce pan, heat the canola oil with cumin on a medium flame until cumin is brown. Add the ginger-chilies and spring onions and sauté for a minute. Add the grated cabbage and carrots and cook for 2 minutes makin sure its not over cooked. Add the grated paneer, salt and the spices and cook for an additional 2 minutes to combine all the flavors well and turn off the heat. 

Assembly of the dosa 

Preheat a non-stick griddle and put a few drops of oil. Pour a laddle full of batter in the center of the griddle and spread it in a smooth gentle circular motion. This step comes with some practice, light feather touch is the key here for a perfect concentric dosa circle! Cover with a large lid and cook on medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Remove the cover, turn the heat down and flip and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

 Flip over again and place the stuffing on one side of the dosa and roll it up with your hands. 

Because the heat is low, the griddle is starting to cool off but is still very hot. Wipe with a damp cloth followed by rubbing the cut onion all over the griddle before pouring the next dosa batter. This step is important and will avoid "clumps" due to instantaneous cooking of the dosa on a hot griddle. The onion absorbs the heat and works like magic! 

Enjoy the dosa with cilantro-coconut chutney.

P.S: The onion technique was the best "aha moment" in my dosa-making experience!