Indian Appetizers
Indian cuisine boasts of a wide range of appetizers, made with selective blend of spices, combined with different ingredients, to give them a unique touch.
Indian appetizers can be low fat such as rice based ones like poha, some are high on fat like fried bhajiyas, while some are pungent and others are bland too.
At time the process of making certain appetizer is fairly long, but for the extra flavour you got to go the extra mile!!!
Appetizers usually come with an accompaniment known as chutney. Like appetizers chutneys too vary, from region to region. Cooking at Home with Pedatha (Best Vegetarian Book in the World – Gourmand Winner)
Quick Rice Dosa
Integral to the South Indian cusine. This recipe is a part of every day and almost everymeal.
Traditionally, dosas vary from region to region and are usually served with chuntey and sambhar.
You can have a simple rice dosa or go in for a masala dosa (made with potato filling), mysore masala (dosa made with red chutney) or chettinad dosa and so on.
Ingredients:
1 cup – Oil
1 cup – Raw rice short grained
1/2 cup – Cooked rice short grained
1/2 cup – Water
1/2 cup – Coconut grated
Salt to taste
Method:
Grind rice, salt and coconut along with water (the batter should be more on the liquid side).
Heat a non stick pan or cast iron tava, sprinkle a few drops of water on it. The water should start steaming immediately (this means the pan is ready).
Wipe the pan using onion or potato slice and then grease lightly with oil.
Pour 1/2 a ladleful batter from a little height, so that you get many holes on dropping the liquid.
Do not spread the dosa with a spatula (steel one). Let it cook for a while and do not let it become crisp rather it should remain soft.
Now as soon as one side is cooked turn it over to the other. Once that side is done quickly fold the dosa to form small triangle secure with a toothpick. (Remeber: do not let the dosa get crisp or it will break on folding. If you add a filing it will fall out).
Serve with chutney of your choice.
Tip: You can get creative with dosas and make several fusion fillings.
Grate cheese mix chaat masala and add it to the dosa.
Add some pav bahji masala, stir fries with noodles, spaghetti with some tomato and cheese and so on.
But always remember add the filling only when you are going to turn the dosa for the second time (as stated in the above method).
Variation
Ingredients:
1 cup – Oil
1 cup – Rice short grained
1/4 cup – Urad dal (white)
10 No – Fenugreek seeds
Salt to taste
Method:
Soak with hot water in the morning (minium 6 hours) required. But still better grind in the evening and let the batter ferment overnight. (Water as required for grinding and soaking).
Then follow the above method for making dosa.