Masala Dosa With Coconut Chutney From Padma Lakshmi

Directions

1. To make the dosa batter:
2. Soak the rice in a large bowl with enough water to cover (by approximately 3 liters or 12 cups). In a separate bowl, soak the lentils in about 4 cups water. Let both bowls stand on the counter for at least 5 hours.
3. In a blender, blend the lentils and rice until a smooth batter is formed.
4. Pour the batter into a deep pot, making sure there’s plenty of room for the batter to rise up. Cover and place in an off oven and let stand overnight. Dosa batter is like an old woman and needs a shawl to keep it warm in cooler months—so if the weather is cold, you can help the fermentation by wrapping the covered pot in a towel to keep it extra warm. The warmer it is, the better the fermentation. But do not heat!
5. After a minimum of 24 hours, check to see if the batter has risen well/fermented. You’ll know if you see tiny air bubbles on its surface. The longer you wait, the more sour (and tastier) the batter will be.
6. Stir the batter well and add 1 tablespoon of salt.
7. Heat a flat griddle or very large frying pan over medium-high heat. Using a rounded ladle, pour ¼ cup of the batter in the center. Starting in the middle, make concentric circles to spread the batter evenly and thinly to make a crepe-like round. Drizzle an espresso spoon or two of oil around the edges to crisp up the perimeter of dosa.
8. When air bubbles start to appear and the underside seems golden, take a spatula and lift around the perimeter of the dosa to make sure it’s not sticking, then flip the dosa carefully. Make sure the spatula goes in under the dosa enough so that the dosa doesn’t fold when you try to flip it.
9. Once flipped, just heat through the other side of the dosa through for a minute. Remove from the heat, add a few tablespoons of the aloo masala mixture to one half of the dosa, close to form a half-moon, and serve right away with chutney. Uncooked, the dosa batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
10. To make the aloo masala:
11. Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Once the water boils, add the potatoes. Cook for about 10 minutes, until tender, then drain in a colander. Using a wooden spoon, smash half of the potatoes while leaving the other half in cubes. Stir to distribute the smashed potatoes among the cubes and set aside.
12. Using a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the mustard seeds and cook for about 1 minute, until they begin to pop. Once the seeds begin popping, add the urad dal and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until toasted and golden.
13. Add the onion and green chiles and cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the turmeric powder and mix well.
14. After another minute, add the smashed potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until the masala is distributed evenly and potatoes are warmed through. If the mixture seems dry, add a splash of water. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, or more as needed. Remove from the heat. Garnish with lemon juice and chopped cilantro.
15. To make the coconut chutney:
16. In a small pan over medium heat,, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the chana dal and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden.
17. In a blender, blend the coconut, roasted chana dal with oil, green chiles, and salt to a fine paste. Add the water, 1 tablespoon or so at a time, as needed to help the mixture blend. Transfer the chutney to a small bowl and set aside.
18. Make the tadka: In a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat, heat the canola oil. Add the mustard seeds and cook for about 1 minute, until they begin to pop. Once popping, add the urad dal, red chile, and asafetida and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the dal is golden.
19. Add the curry leaves (be careful not to stand too close to the pan when you do this step because fresh curry leaves have a lot of oil in them and will react to the oil in the pan by splattering) and cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 seconds, then pour over coconut chutney and mix well.