I have no idea about the rest of India, but atleast in Maharashtra, masala dosas are served with "Potato Bhaaji". I cant say that I love the bhaaji because if its not there, I wont miss it. But S loves this bhaaji. For him, this boiled potato mish-mash is a must with sadha dosas. I have no idea about the origin of this bhaaji or how it came to be served with dosas. But some smart person probably served this bhaaji with not so crispy dosa and gave the name Masala Dosas.
Now in restaurants, traditionally, the dosa served with this bhaaji is smaller in size than sadha dosa and little thick but soft. The bhaaji is filled inside the dosa and is meant to be eaten the way you would eat roti-saabzi. Just to make life easier for me, I serve this bhaaji on the side instead of as a filling.
Recipe
2 large potatoes
2 medium onions
1 large tomato
1 tsp urad dal
10-15 curry leaves
4 whole red chillies
1 inch ginger - grated
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
oil for cooking
hing/asafotedia pinch only
handful cilantro
Preparation:
Boil the potatoes. They should be tender enough to be pierced by a fork. Peel them and dice them into large pieces because they cook and break into small pieces at the last stage of cooking. Peel and dice the onions into medium pieces. Dice the tomato into medium pieces. apart from the potato, its the mish mash of onions, tomato and the seasonings that flavor the Bhaaji and are more fun to eat.
Cooking: warm up the oil in a kadai. When the oil is hot, add the asafotedia first. Then add the mustard seeds. When they are done sputtering, add the red chillies, curry leaves, ginger and urad dal together. Then add the turmeric. Roast it a little. Then add the onoins and roast it a little. Cover the kadai and let the onions cook. Make sure sure that they remain translucent and dont turn brown. Move the entire seasonings and onions to the sides of the kadai in a ring and put the diced tomato in centre. This will ensure that the curry leaves, ginger, urad dal etc donot get over cooked but just the tomato gets cooked - same principle as a wok. After the tomato is cooked, mix everything together and season it with salt. Adding salt at this stage ensures better mixing than when potatoes are added. Add potatoes and mix properly. Cover the kadai and let it steam out once. Turn of the gas/burner and then garnish it with cilantro. This just ensures that cilantro doesnt lose its flavor or color.
This bhaaji can be prepared well in advance for the meal. But sometimes the potatoes get over cooked. So I cook the bhaaji till the salt stage and then during dinner time, I heat up the entire kadai again and then add potatoes and cilantro. Doing this, there is no reheating of food and overcooking.
Now in restaurants, traditionally, the dosa served with this bhaaji is smaller in size than sadha dosa and little thick but soft. The bhaaji is filled inside the dosa and is meant to be eaten the way you would eat roti-saabzi. Just to make life easier for me, I serve this bhaaji on the side instead of as a filling.
Recipe
2 large potatoes
2 medium onions
1 large tomato
1 tsp urad dal
10-15 curry leaves
4 whole red chillies
1 inch ginger - grated
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
oil for cooking
hing/asafotedia pinch only
handful cilantro
Preparation:
Boil the potatoes. They should be tender enough to be pierced by a fork. Peel them and dice them into large pieces because they cook and break into small pieces at the last stage of cooking. Peel and dice the onions into medium pieces. Dice the tomato into medium pieces. apart from the potato, its the mish mash of onions, tomato and the seasonings that flavor the Bhaaji and are more fun to eat.
Cooking: warm up the oil in a kadai. When the oil is hot, add the asafotedia first. Then add the mustard seeds. When they are done sputtering, add the red chillies, curry leaves, ginger and urad dal together. Then add the turmeric. Roast it a little. Then add the onoins and roast it a little. Cover the kadai and let the onions cook. Make sure sure that they remain translucent and dont turn brown. Move the entire seasonings and onions to the sides of the kadai in a ring and put the diced tomato in centre. This will ensure that the curry leaves, ginger, urad dal etc donot get over cooked but just the tomato gets cooked - same principle as a wok. After the tomato is cooked, mix everything together and season it with salt. Adding salt at this stage ensures better mixing than when potatoes are added. Add potatoes and mix properly. Cover the kadai and let it steam out once. Turn of the gas/burner and then garnish it with cilantro. This just ensures that cilantro doesnt lose its flavor or color.
This bhaaji can be prepared well in advance for the meal. But sometimes the potatoes get over cooked. So I cook the bhaaji till the salt stage and then during dinner time, I heat up the entire kadai again and then add potatoes and cilantro. Doing this, there is no reheating of food and overcooking.
When you eat the bhaaji, there should be a subtle taste of ginger and curry leaves.
Serve the bhaaji on side with sadha dosa or serve it as a Masala Dosa.
For Masala Dosa:
Recipe, preparation same as sadha dosa. Only when cooking the dosas, instead of making them very thin, make it little thick. When the dosa is cooked on the pan, before removing it, place a generous heaping of bhaaji on the centre and close the dosa as a semi circle. Maneuver it expertly, remove the dosa + filling from the pan and serve it on a plate with sambar and chutney.
Happy Eating!
Serve the bhaaji on side with sadha dosa or serve it as a Masala Dosa.
For Masala Dosa:
Recipe, preparation same as sadha dosa. Only when cooking the dosas, instead of making them very thin, make it little thick. When the dosa is cooked on the pan, before removing it, place a generous heaping of bhaaji on the centre and close the dosa as a semi circle. Maneuver it expertly, remove the dosa + filling from the pan and serve it on a plate with sambar and chutney.
Happy Eating!
No comments:
Post a Comment