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Jini dosa
Crisp dosa with Schezwan vegetables
जिनी डोसा (jini dosa): a crisp dosa spread with chopped Schezwan vegetables and cheese, cut and rolled into strips
Jini dosa was born in the late-night food lane of Ghatkopar, Mumbai's Khau Galli, where dosa men turned the South Indian pancake into a Mumbai-Chinese hybrid. A thin dosa goes on the griddle, then cabbage, onion, capsicum and Schezwan sauce are chopped and spread right on top with the edge of a spatula, cheese melts in, and the whole thing is cut into strips and rolled into little upright cylinders. It is crunchy, spicy, buttery and messy, a favourite after evening college classes. Many cheeses are set with animal rennet, so choose one labelled vegetarian. Chef's tip: get the griddle properly hot before each dosa; a lukewarm tawa makes the batter stick and tear.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dosas
- 1 ⅓ lb dosa batterfermented, at room temperature
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
For the topping
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 4 oz white cabbagefinely shredded
- 1 carrotcoarsely grated
- 1 green pepperfinely chopped
- 2 spring onionschopped
- 4 tbsp Schezwan chilli sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp pav bhaji masala
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅓ oz fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 1 onion, 4 oz white cabbage, 1 carrot, 1 green pepper and 2 spring onions in a bowl with 4 tbsp Schezwan chilli sauce, 2 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tsp pav bhaji masala and ½ tsp salt. Divide into four.
5 minStep 2: Heat a large flat griddle or 28 cm frying pan over a medium-high heat. Wipe with a little 2 tbsp sunflower oil on a folded kitchen paper. It is ready when a sprinkle of water sizzles and vanishes in a second.
3 minStep 3: Pour a ladle (about 150 g) of 1 ⅓ lb dosa batter into the centre and spread it outwards in quick spirals with the back of the ladle into a thin round. Dot with a quarter of the 1 ⅜ oz butter.
1 minStep 4: Spread a quarter of the vegetable mix all over the dosa, then chop and smear it about with the edge of a metal spatula for 1–2 minutes so the vegetables wilt slightly but stay crunchy. Common mistake: piling on too much topping; the base steams instead of crisping.
2 minStep 5: Scatter over a quarter of the 4 oz processed cheese or mild cheddar (vegetarian). Cook for 2–3 minutes more, until the underside is deep golden and lifts easily and the cheese has melted.
3 minStep 6: Cut the dosa into 4–5 strips with the spatula, roll each strip up into a tight little cylinder and stand them on a plate. Scatter with ⅓ oz fresh coriander.
Step 7: Wipe the griddle, re-oil and repeat with the remaining batter and topping. Serve hot with coconut chutney if you have it.
16 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jini dosa take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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