rava dosa – Indian crepes – FRESH CORIANDER, GINGER, AND CHILI BREADS

July 1, 2024 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments 

These delicious crepe-like breads are called rava dosa in India. They are
made from semolina flour and spiked with chiles, ginger, curry and coriander
leaves. Makes 8

2 cups semolina flour (subs: Lupin flour plus xanthan gum or psyllium husk, or almond or chickpea flours)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 fresh red chili (seeds and veins discarded), finely chopped (or 1
jalapeno)
1 tablespoon finely chopped root ginger
1 tablespoon curry leaves (if using dried, rehydrate by soaking before
using)
2 tablespoons coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups warm water
Oil for griddle surface

You will need a medium-sized mixing bowl, a large cast-iron or other heavy
griddle, a paper towel, a flat wooden spoon or rubber spatula, and a metal
spatula.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the semolina, yogurt, chile,
ginger root, curry leaves, coriander leaves, and salt. Add the water a little
at a time, stirring while you pour. When all the water has been added and
the batter is smooth, cover the bowl and let the batter rest for
approximately one hour.

To cook the breads, heat a large cast iron griddle over medium high heat.
Lightly oil the surface of the griddle using a paper towel, and reserve the
towel for use between each dosa. When the griddle is hot, pour on one-half
cup of the batter. As you pour, move in a circle out from the middle, trying
to distribute the batter in as large a circle as possible. Immediately
after, use the flat back side of a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to move
the batter to cover the gaps, trying again to increase the diameter of the
dosa. Try to make a circle 9 to 10 inches in diameter.

Over a medium high heat, the dosa will cook on its first side for one minute
and a half. After it has been cooking for one minute, begin to loosen it
from the griddle with a sharp-edged spatula. Coax the dosa, don’t force it,
as it will come off easily from the griddle when it is ready. When ready,
flip to the other side.

The second side will cook in one and a half to two minutes, depending on the
thickness of the dosa and the heat of the griddle. You can check the dosa by
simply lifting a corner with your spatula. It should have nicely browned
spots, but not nearly as uniformly brown as the first side. When ready,
remove to a plate. Before starting the second dosa, rub the surface of the
griddle with the oily paper towel, or if it’s particularly dry, add a little
more oil. Continue cooking until all the dosas have been made (they can be
stacked one on top of the other when they finish cooking), or serve
immediately as they are made, flapjack-style.

Yield: eight dosas, each 9 to 10 inches in diameter.

Home-made CHAPATIS

July 1, 2024 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments

makes 8-10

2 cups Atta flour (or wholemeal or stone-ground wheat – or try a GF grain flour, sifted)
1 teaspoon salt
Approximately 1 cup warm water

You will need a medium-sized bowl, a rolling pin, a cast-iron griddle or
heavy skillet, and a small cotton cloth or a paper towel.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the salt and the flour. Make a well in
the middle and add just less than 1 cup warm water. Mix with your hand or
with a spoon until you can gather it together into a dough (depending on the
condition of your flour, you may need a little extra water or a little extra
flour to make a kneadable dough). Turn out onto a lightly floured bread
board and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth or a plastic
wrap and let stand for 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours. The longer the dough
stands, the more digestible the breads.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and flatten each with lightly floured
fingers. Continue flattening with a rolling pin until each piece is 8 inches
in diameter. Once you have started rolling, roll out each bread without
flipping it over. To keep the bread from sticking to your bread board, make
sure that the bread is lightly floured underneath. Cover the breads with the
damp towel or plastic wrap as you roll out others (make sure not to stack
the rolled out breads; if you don’t have enough counter space for the
breads, roll out just a few and begin cooking, rolling out the others as the
breads cook).

Heat a cast iron griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. When the griddle
is hot, place a chapati on the griddle, top side of the bread down first.
Let cook for only 10 seconds and then gently flip to the second side. Cook
on the second side until small bubbles begin to form, approximately one
minute. Turn the chapati back to the first side and finish cooking (another
minute approximately). At this stage, a perfect chapati will start to
balloon. This process can be helped along by gently pressing on the bread.
The bread is hot, so we find the easiest method is to use a small cotton
cloth or a paper towel wadded up to protect your finger tips. Gently press
down on a large bubble forcing the bubble to extend itself wider. If the
bread starts to burn on the bottom before it has ballooned, move the bread
(with the help of your paper towel) across the skillet, dislodging it from
the point at which it is beginning to burn.

When you are satisfied with your chapati, remove it and wrap in a clean
towel. Continue to cook the other breads, stacking each as it is finished on
top of the others.

Yield: 8 chapatis, 7 to 8 inches across, thin and supple.

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